Issue of UG-Accessibility Revisited

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper examines three hypotheses which predict availability/ unavailability of UG in L1/L2 acquisition: the Continuity, the Maturation, and the Windows of Opportunity Hypotheses. The Continuity Hypothesis claims that the "initial state" does not change with maturation and that adult L2 acquisition is governed by the same language faculty as child L1 acquisition. The Maturation and the Window of Opportunity Hypothesis, on the other hand, claim that the structure of the language faculty changes through the course of maturation. They differ, however, in that the Window of Opportunity Hypothesis claims that since certain maturational changes in the brains are related to decrease of language acquisition ability, cognitively mature adult L2 learners use a different cognitive module from child L1/L2 learners, whereas the Maturation Hypothesis claims that L1 and L2 learners use the same knowledge source. Recent advances of technology (e.g., fMRI) provide some evidence that the Window of Opportunity Hypothesis is correct.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Initial State of UG
• 2.1 The Continuity Hypothesis
• 2.2 The Maturation Hypothesis
• 3. Final State of UG
• 3.1 The Window of Opportunity Hypothesis
• 4. Discussion and Conclusion
• Reference