In trying to understand how children acquire language, we must consider numerous factors. One factor is processing considerations: children learn the language with memory limitations, with a developing parser, developing abilities for lexical retrieval, etc. A second set of considerations involve the mechanisms for thematic role assignment. Typically, this happens by reference to canonical word order or case marking, if available in their language. Other factors such as verb semantics and animacy also play a role. The final major component to this picture is the knowledge of grammar – whether and to what – degree children come pre-equipped with knowledge of human grammar that helps them solve the numerous logical problems in language acquisition. We address some of these factors in Tagalog, which has a voice system that raises interesting issues with regard to canonical word order. Moreover, there is a rich system of case marking that interacts with voice to yield variable word order. These three aspects of Tagalog syntax conspire to make Tagalog a language that potentially teaches us something about canonicity and thematic role assignments in child language.
- Author: Ivan Paul Bondoc, Kamil Ud Deen, Elsie Marie Or, & Ma. Clarisse Hemedes
- Publication Type: Proceedings
- Link: http://www.lingref.com/bucld/43/BUCLD43-07.pdf