Quantifier Meaning in First and Second Language Acquisition

Abstract

This dissertation discusses an acquisitional error, namely quantifier spreading in L1 and L2 acquisition. Looking at previous data and a present study, it is suggested that the phenomenon is grammatical in nature, and both children and L2 learners exhibit this error. It is also shown that there are some differences in the two processes, since certain linguistic backgrounds, such as Hungarian, can serve as transfer and make ESL students interpret an ambiguously quantified sentence in a way that prioritizes the first quantified NP that takes scope over the second one. In the experiment, a certain pattern reveals in the proficiency levels tested, which shows that less proficient students were more inclined to elicit this response, which is dubbed the existential wide scope response by DelliCarpini (2003).