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Anaphora and branching direction in Japanese
1Department of Linguistics, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu 96822.
Journal of Child Language
|June 1, 1994
Summary
Children acquiring languages universally prefer forward anaphora patterns. This study supports this finding in Japanese language acquisition, challenging prior critiques.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Developmental Psychology
- Psycholinguistics
Background:
- Investigates the Principal Branching Direction parameter in language acquisition.
- Responds to critiques of experiments on anaphora preferences in children learning left-branching languages.
Discussion:
- Presents new experimental data from children learning Japanese.
- Analyzes the results in the context of universal grammar theories.
Key Insights:
- Children learning Japanese demonstrate a preference for forward anaphora patterns.
- This finding supports the hypothesis of a universal early preference for forward anaphora.
Outlook:
- Suggests implications for theories of language acquisition and universal grammar.
- Highlights the need for further cross-linguistic research on anaphora resolution.