The null-subject parameter at the interface between syntax and pragmatics: Evidence from bilingual German–Italian, German–French and Italian–French children

• Published in: First language Vol. 32; no. 1-2; pp. 205 - 238
• Main Authors: Schmitz, Katrin, Patuto, Marisa, Müller, Natascha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.02.2012
• Subjects: Bilingualism; Children; French; German; Italian; Language Acquisition; Pro Drop Parameter; Syntax Pragmatics Interface; cross-linguistic influence; default 3rd person; pro typology; odd omission/realization; syntax–pragmatics interface
• ISSN: 0142-7237; 1740-2344
• DOI: 10.1177/0142723711403880

This article investigates subject realizations and omissions in bilingual German–Italian, German–French and Italian–French children. The German–Italian children realize too many subjects in Italian, unlike the French–Italian child. The authors modify the criteria for cross-linguistic influence: this occurs if the vulnerable grammatical phenomenon is an interface property and if the surface strings of the two languages are analysable with the syntactic derivation of one language. All children produce target-deviant subject omissions in French and German. Odd omissions of subjects in French and German and odd realizations in Italian are all syntactically 3rd person. The authors argue for one explanation for all observations, namely the misinterpretation of the deictic nature of 1st and 2nd person as the anaphoric 3rd person. Odd realized and omitted subject pronouns are of the NP-type, independent from licensing via agreement and realized as default 3rd person.