Transfer,hybridization and analogy in L2 usage: the case of Estonian object marking

Abstract

The article presents the results of a quantitative study of Estonian object marking by L2 speakers with Russian as their L1 (N = 91). A written production task was used to obtain the data. This task consisted of a coherent Estonian text where the informants needed to fill the blanks left for the direct objects. The data revealed large-scale variability: informants did not only transfer Russian features to Estonian L2. There was also evidence for analogical extension of productive patterns of Estonian object case assignment and compromise forms. This indicates that direct transfer of L1 patterns is just one and not the major source of L2 innovations. Apart from this, L2 productive patterns, universal cognitive preferences and analogical extension of error patterns are in part responsible for the non-standard forms found. The article argues that all these phenomena rely on analogy in the broadest sense, and therefore it is to be assumed that analogy is the main mechanism behind contact-induced phenomena in L2 usage and that copying, replication and pivot-matching are all specific manifestations of the same analogical mechanism.