This study is the first to investigate subject-level variability in sociolinguistic evaluative judgements by 30 adult L2 German learners and explore whether the observed variability is characterizable as a function of individual differences in proficiency, exposure, and motivation. Because group-level estimates did not paint an accurate picture of…

This study investigates the role of probabilistic grammatical constraints on the dative alternation in English as a second language (ESL). It presents the results of an experiment in which the different factors that are influential in first language (L1) English are tested with advanced learners of English whose L1 is German. Second language (L2)…

Reports on one of a series of sociolinguistic studies of the speech of children of foreign workers in Berlin, "Gastarbeiterdeutsch," addressing the question of potential creolization. The paper has three sections: (1) a social and linguistic background of "Gastarbeiterdeutsch"; (2) the study methodology; and (3) results of the…

Describes the process of acquisition in learner varieties with respect to reference and referential movement in the domain of modality. Findings are based on data from the longitudinal ESF and P-Moll projects and on cross-sectional data of Italian learners of German. (Author/VWL)

Introduces this special issue of the journal and presents results from comparative research into the principles constraining learner varieties (interlanguages) in use. Articles analyze the oral production of complex verbal tasks in second language Dutch, English, French, German, and Italian. (Author/VWL)