| dc.description.abstract | In the previous sections I compared the findings of researchers studying several different child languages. One language, child English, does not provide compelling evidence of the presence of the functional layers during the early multi-word stage (1;6-2;0). Other languages, child French and German, provide strong evidence of the presence of one functional layer above the VP but no (child French) or only ambiguous tendencies regarding the presence of the second functional layer above the VP (child German). The third group of languages, child Swedish and child Norwegian, seem to show compelling evidence of the 71 presence of two functional layers above the VP from the first emergence of the relevant structures.
Based on the cross-linguistic evidence and considering possible combinations of the above discussed languages in a case of bilingual first language acquisition, I suggested that the approaches assuming the presence of all functional categories and early parameter setting can provide better theoretical base for general claims about the linguistic abilities of very young children, than the approaches assuming a gradual maturation of functional categories. Furthermore, I argued for Westergaard‟s micro-cues approach, which describes the acquisition process as an interaction of UG and input, providing thus a possible explanation for the fact that different child languages show evidence of the presence of functional layers at different stages of development. | no_NO |
