SPLIT PATHS OR SHARED ROOTS: A STUDY OF PARAMETRIC ACTIVATIONIN 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