@MASTERSTHESIS{ 2017:1580968052,
 	title = {Null object in portuguese as an additional language},
 	year = {2017},
 	url = "http://tede2.pucrs.br/tede2/handle/tede/7549",
 	abstract = "Within the generative theory of principles and parameters (Chomsky, 1981), empty categories are entities used in syntactic analyses so that certain language structures do not violate universal principles (Mioto, 2007). Brazilian Portuguese (BP) makes use of several of these categories in different structures, and one of the structures allowed by the language is the phenomenon known as object drop, or phonetically null objects. In studies of Second Language Acquisition (SLA), the theory of Full Transfer / Full Access (Schwartz & Sprouse, 1996) posits that the initial stage of the L2 is the final stage of the L1, but in finding structures that are not allowed by the L1 syntax, learners access the UG to reset parameters related to these structures. Considering BP is often learned after another additional language, hence being an L3, the Typological Primacy Model (TPM) proposed by Rothman (2010) claims that transfer will occur from the grammar of the language perceived as the most similar, even if transfer from another language would be more facilitative. The present study contains results of an acceptability judgment task with different structures in BP given to both Native speakers (n = 27) and BP learners (L1 Spanish, L2 English)(n = 15). It was expected that, because BP and Spanish are perceived as typologically closer, BP learners would transfer their knowledge from the L1 while evaluating the sentences in BP. The results show that Native speakers have different evaluations depending on the structure being tested, with null objects being preferred in Simple clauses, but no clear preference in structures with strong syntactic islands. The BP learners did not show any clear preference for null or overt objects in structures with strong syntactic islands, but showed preference for null objects in Simple clauses with [‒ definite] referents. Assuming FT/FA and the TPM, it seems that BP learners kept using the grammar from their L1 in evaluating some of the structures, while in other structures there seems to be some convergence on the target grammar, hinting at some level of access to UG.",
 	publisher = {Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul},
 	scholl = {Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras},
 	note = {Escola de Humanidades}
}