The poverty-of-the-stimulus argument and multicompetence
Abstract
This paper examines the consequences of the fact that human minds may know more than one language for the poverty-of-the-stimulus argument that speakers know more than they could have learnt. Qualifications to the argument are necessary because not all L2 learners attain the same compe tence as L1 speakers; types of evidence are potentially available that can be ruled out for the Ll. The way in which L2 learning has been concep tualized in terms of access to UG and of a black box metaphor makes the L2 grammar seem separate from the L1 grammar rather than one over all system contained within a single mind. What is needed is the idea of 'multicompetence' - the compound state of a mind with two grammars. Multicompetence is the norm for the human race in that most minds know more than one language. Hence the logical problem of language acquisition is how the mind acquires a grammar with one or more settings for each parameter, rather than the special case of a mind that knows only one language. This has implications for all uses of the poverty-of-the-stimulus argument, not just in L2 learning.
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Native language knowledge, rather than universal grammar, is an important mechanism device of L2 acquisition.
“We contend that native language knowledge, rather than universal grammar, is an important mechanism device of L2 acquisition (Cook, 1991).”
From Syntactic Networks of Interlanguage Across L2 Modalities and Proficiency Levels (2021) · cites this paper as Cook, 1991
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- Authors
- Cook, V. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Essex (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Cook, V.J.
- Venue
- Interlanguage studies bulletin (Utrecht)
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 1991-06
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 103-117
- ISSN
- 0165-9960 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2018247628
- Cited by
- 534
- References
- 14
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 39 · 2023: 27 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 41 · 2020: 33 · 2019: 46 · 2018: 60 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 41 · 2015: 47 · 2014: 21 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 18
- FWCI
- 8.86
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Second language Research (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › EFL/ESL Teaching and Learning
- Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Language Development and Disorders
- Keywords
- poverty of the stimulus, multicompetence, second language acquisition, universal grammar, language acquisition, grammatical competence, language universals
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