This study addresses the issue of second language (L2) epistemology assuming
Chomsky’s (1995) discussion of the place of Universal Grammar (UG) in
mental design: i.e., the optimal solution to the mental design problem for language
in the sense of Minimalist theory. Aspects of interpretation of continuous and
discontinuous interrogatives of the form qui de AP (‘who (of)
AP’) in first language and L2 acquisition appear to follow from principles
of economy in mental design and language-dependent hypotheses. We argue that such
knowledge is guaranteed to arise in the absence of relevant input only if a grammar
is a realization of language-dependent hypotheses and basic principles of grammar,
but crucially not if it consists of a set of (derivative) grammatical theorems not
constrained by principles of optimal design.
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