SPLIT PATHS OR SHARED ROOTS: A STUDY OF PARAMETRIC ACTIVATION IN ENGLISH–URDU BILINGUAL ACQUISITION WITHIN A UG FRAMEWORK

Abstract

Universal Grammar (UG) has been widely studied for its parameter activation across languages, whereas its adaptability to dual-language acquisition has received less attention. This case study aimed to investigate the potential of UG parameters in the context of the dual language hypothesis, focusing on three key syntactic parameters: Wh-movement, Head position, and the pro-Drop parameter. A descriptive analysis has been employed to examine a three-year-old child's spontaneous utterances during random conversations in English and Urdu. The findings reveal that the child has accurately used parameters for both languages, with most instances being minor, involving overlapping or omission. However, the indiscernibilities do not interfere with the child's broader ability to keep both linguistic systems separate. The results support the applicability and adaptability of UG for dual language acquisition, enabling navigation of syntactic variation between two languages, underscoring its sensitivity to deep grammatical principles and the activation of parameters by external linguistic input. Despite significant findings, more data, including more children or comparisons with languages other than English and Urdu, are needed to strengthen the UG parameter theory.