L1 Transfer versus Computational Complexity in Adult L2 French: Evidence from a Comparison with Deaf L1 French Learners

In this paper, we examine the role of computational complexity versus the role of L1 transfer in a group of adult L2 learners of French based on the results of a written grammaticality judgment task which tested four constructions in French: relative clauses, passives, verb raising, and gender and number agreement on accusative clitics. We chose these constructions based on the varying degrees of complexity which are arguably involved for each one and for their degree of divergence or similarity to English. Following fruitful results in previous work comparing child L2 acquisition with L1 acquisition in children with language pathology (see for example, Paradis & Crago, 2000), the performance of the L2 group was compared to that of a group of L1 French adolescents with moderate-to-profound hearing loss. Similarities found between these groups are argued to provide support for the role of computational complexity in all types of atypical language acquisition. This paper is organized in the following way: First, we discuss current theories that examine computational complexity and we identify the differences in complexity for the constructions we are testing. Second, we look at a number of studies on typical and atypical acquisition of these constructions. Third, we present theories which characterize the role of L1 transfer in L2 acquisition and we compare the morphosyntax of these four constructions between French and English. Fourth, we present the methodology used in this study, followed by the results. Last, we analyze these results in terms of L1 transfer and complexity.