An empirical study on the validity of the fluctuation hypothesis in the acquisition of Portuguese article by Chinese learners
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21814/diacritica.4810Keywords:
Portuguese article, Fluctuation Hypothesis, Chinese learnersAbstract
Article acquisition is a process in which L2 learners gradually establish an appropriate semantic value for the article parameter. According to the Fluctuation Hypothesis (Ionin, 2003), learners of an L2 oscillate between marking of definite and specific traits when choosing the article, which is considered a temporary property of their interlanguage system. With a long exposure to L2 input, learners will establish the appropriate parametric value for the article. The present study aimed to test, among Chinese learners whose mother tongue does not have this linguistic system, the validity of the Fluctuation Hypothesis. The data corroborated the fluctuation in the Portuguese article choice by this group of learners with A2/B1 level of proficiency in Portuguese, pointing to L2 input and Universal Grammar as sources of linguistic knowledge that Chinese learners use to acquire the articles in Portuguese. The research may contribute with theoretical support for the teaching of Portuguese article to Chinese learners.
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