Modals no Processo de Aquisição do Inglês como L2 por Aprendizes Brasileiros
Data
2019-12-16
Autores
Silva, Felipe Luiz de Azevedo
Orientadores
Marcelino, Marcello
Tipo
Dissertação de mestrado
Título da Revista
ISSN da Revista
Título de Volume
Resumo
A presente dissertação de mestrado é baseada na perspectiva gerativista, levando em conta as questões concernentes à interface sintático-semântica e tem como base os pressupostos da Gramática Gerativa (CHOMSKY, 1958, 1981, 1986, 2001). O objetivo dessa pesquisa é compreender a aquisição dos modais por falantes de português brasileiro (PB) que estão no processo de aquisição da língua inglesa como segunda língua (L2). Tal aquisição se demonstra problemática por fatores diversos ao longo do espectro da língua: em casos mais elementares, a condição entre os verbos nucleares e perifrásticos, já em relação aos níveis mais proficientes, as proposições expressas através dos modais deônticos e epistêmicos. Estas dificuldades ocorrem devido a uma possível diferenciação no processo de ordenação de traços no desenvolvimento da interlíngua do aprendiz, quando esse aplica parâmetros provenientes de sua primeira língua (L1), que não são compatíveis com os da L2. Uma mudança intercambiável se torna praticamente inalcançável, uma vez que o português demonstra ter construções modalizadoras que, em inglês, não ocorrem na mesma distribuição, situação que causa problemas no processo de aquisição por conta da aplicação inadequada de uma estrutura possível, porém não natural e proficiente. Em relação à fundamentação teórica, baseando-se em trabalhos desenvolvidos por Jacobs (1995), Celce-Murcia e Freeman (1999), White (2000), Palmer (2001), Collins (2009), Kratzer (2012), Slabakova (2016), dentre outros, procurou-se esclarecer as seguintes questões: (i) Quais são os aspectos das modalidades deôntica e epistêmica que trazem problemas para o desenvolvimento do conhecimento e, consequentemente, uso dos modais de maneira acurada pelos aprendizes brasileiros? (ii) Quais são as características dos modais nucleares e perifrásticos que apresentam dificuldades aos aprendizes brasileiros em relação à forma e significado e que impactam o uso? A avaliação dos materiais expostos aos alunos e da abordagem com a qual se trabalha os modais em contextos de aquisição de L2 demonstrou que esse conteúdo se apresenta de forma instrumental e mecânica, o que leva à escolha da estrutura sintática mais semelhante à construção da L1 do falante, formada por expressões modalizadoras, acarretando uma ordenação de traço incompatível com a L2, cujo subconjunto oferece duas alternativas: nuclear e perifrástica. A hipótese para a dificuldade de aquisição vem, em primeiro lugar, pela dificuldade de equivalência na L1 e consequentemente na representação mental da interlíngua e, em segundo lugar, pela apropriação de significado e uso mais concreto na utilização de expressões perifrásticas que possuem proposição com sentido aproximado, porém não sinônima.
The following master’s dissertation is based on the generative perspective, taking into consideration issues concerning the syntactic-semantic interface and having the assumptions of the Generative Grammar as its ground (CHOMSKY, 1958, 1981, 1986, 2001). This research seeks to understand the acquisition of modals by speakers of Brazilian Portuguese who are in the process of acquisition of English as a second language (L2). Such acquisition seems problematic for a series of factors throughout the language spectrum: in more elementary cases, the condition between root and periphrastic modals; in more proficient levels, the propositions expressed through deontic and epistemic modals. These difficulties occur due to a possible differentiation in the ordering of traces in the learner’s development of their interlanguage when applying parameters stemming from their first language (L1), which are not compatible with those from the L2. An interchangeable shift is practically unfeasible, once Portuguese appears to have modal constructions that do not occur in the same distribution in English, situation which causes problems in the acquisition process due to the inadequate application of a possible structure in BP, however unnatural and not proficient in English. With regards to the theoretical background, based on research developed by Jacobs (1995), Celce-Murcia & Freeman (1999), White (2000), Palmer (2001), Collins (2009), Kratzer (2012), Slabakova (2016), we seek clarifications for the following questions: (i) Which are the aspects of the deontic and epistemic modalities that present problems for the development of knowledge and, as a consequence, the accurate use of modals by Brazilian learners? (ii) Which are the characteristics of the root and periphrastic modals that present difficulties to the Brazilian learners in relation to form and meaning which impacts its use? The evaluation of materials exposed to students and the approach with which modals are dealt with in acquisition contexts of L2 demonstrated that such content is presented both instrumentally and mechanically, leading to the choice of a syntactic structure which resembles the speaker’s L1 construction, formed by modal expressions, ending up in an incompatible ordering of traces with the L2, whose subset offers two alternatives: root and periphrastic. The hypothesis for the acquisition difficulty lies, in the first place, in the difficulty for an equivalence in L1 and consequently in the mental representation of the interlanguage; secondly, due to meaning appropriation and concrete use of periphrastic expressions which have propositions with near meanings, however not synonymous.
The following master’s dissertation is based on the generative perspective, taking into consideration issues concerning the syntactic-semantic interface and having the assumptions of the Generative Grammar as its ground (CHOMSKY, 1958, 1981, 1986, 2001). This research seeks to understand the acquisition of modals by speakers of Brazilian Portuguese who are in the process of acquisition of English as a second language (L2). Such acquisition seems problematic for a series of factors throughout the language spectrum: in more elementary cases, the condition between root and periphrastic modals; in more proficient levels, the propositions expressed through deontic and epistemic modals. These difficulties occur due to a possible differentiation in the ordering of traces in the learner’s development of their interlanguage when applying parameters stemming from their first language (L1), which are not compatible with those from the L2. An interchangeable shift is practically unfeasible, once Portuguese appears to have modal constructions that do not occur in the same distribution in English, situation which causes problems in the acquisition process due to the inadequate application of a possible structure in BP, however unnatural and not proficient in English. With regards to the theoretical background, based on research developed by Jacobs (1995), Celce-Murcia & Freeman (1999), White (2000), Palmer (2001), Collins (2009), Kratzer (2012), Slabakova (2016), we seek clarifications for the following questions: (i) Which are the aspects of the deontic and epistemic modalities that present problems for the development of knowledge and, as a consequence, the accurate use of modals by Brazilian learners? (ii) Which are the characteristics of the root and periphrastic modals that present difficulties to the Brazilian learners in relation to form and meaning which impacts its use? The evaluation of materials exposed to students and the approach with which modals are dealt with in acquisition contexts of L2 demonstrated that such content is presented both instrumentally and mechanically, leading to the choice of a syntactic structure which resembles the speaker’s L1 construction, formed by modal expressions, ending up in an incompatible ordering of traces with the L2, whose subset offers two alternatives: root and periphrastic. The hypothesis for the acquisition difficulty lies, in the first place, in the difficulty for an equivalence in L1 and consequently in the mental representation of the interlanguage; secondly, due to meaning appropriation and concrete use of periphrastic expressions which have propositions with near meanings, however not synonymous.