Honors and Awards
- 2005 Helen Corley Petit Scholar (2005-2006). Award for AY2004-2005 best record of tenure and promotion in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- 2004 Fellow Center for Advanced Studies. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (release time for Spring 2005) Research Project Title: “Understanding the Long-lasting Effects of Early Linguistic Input in Bilinguals”
- 2004 Arnold O. Beckman Award (awarded for projects of special distinction or promise) from the University of Illinois Campus Research Board. Amount: $20,365. Research Project Title: “Understanding the Long-lasting Effects of a Linguistic Past in Bilinguals” Support for research assistants, subject fees, and equipment.
Research interests and areas of graduate teaching
- Adult second language acquisition
- Bilingualism and Language loss in children and adults
- Psycholinguistics
- Theoretical linguistics applied to language acquisition
- Acquisition of syntax, morphology, lexical-semantics, syntax-pragmatics
- Acquisition of the lexicon
- Spanish and other Romance languages
- Research and teaching of heritage languages
Current Research Projects
1. The significance of early linguistic input in adult bilinguals. Systematic comparison of Spanish L2 learners (late bilinguals) and Spanish heritage speakers (early bilinguals) in their knowledge of aspects of phonology, lexicon, morphology, syntax.
Collaborators: Rebecca Foote, Dan Thornhill, Silvia Perpiñán, Susana Vidal
2. Language maintenance and loss in Spanish-English bilingual children. A study of the Spanish grammatical development of bilingual children attending a dual immersion public school in Chicago.
Collaborator: Kim Potowski ( University of Illinois at Chicago)
3. The acquisition of Brazilian Portuguese. A study of subject and object expression in L2 and L3 acquisition of Portuguese by English and Spanish-speaking learners.
Collaborators: Ana Thome-Williams and Diana Chin.
Books and Edited Volumes
Slabakova, R., Montrul, S., and Prévost, P. (Eds.) (forthcoming in 2006). Inquiries in Language Development.. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Montrul, S. (2004).The Acquisition of Spanish. Morphosyntactic Development in Monolingual and Bilingual L1 Acquisition and in Adult L2 Acquisition. [Series on Language Acquisition and Language Disorders] Amsterdam: John Benjamins (pp. xv + 411).
Montrul, S. and Ordóñez, F. (Eds.) 2003. Linguistic Theory and Language Development in Hispanic Languages. Selected Papers from the 5 th Hispanic Linguistics Symposium and the 2001 Conference on the Acquisition of Spanish and Portuguese. Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press. (497 pages)
09/25/2005 s in Second Language Acquisition, 23,2: Representational and Developmental Issues at the Lexico-Syntactic Interface: The L2 Acquisition of Verb Meaning.
Montrul, S. (Ed.) 1999. Spanish Applied Linguistics 3,2. Special issue: The Acquisition of Spanish Se.
Montrul, S. and Bruhn de Garavito, J. (Eds.) 1999. Second Language Research, 15, 2. Special issue: Generative Approaches to the Second Language Acquisition of Spanish.
Montrul, S. and Slabakova, R. (Eds.) 1998. Proceedings of the Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition (GASLA ‘97). McGill Working Papers in Linguistics vol. 13.
Journal Articles
Montrul, S. (forthcoming in December 2005). On the bilingual competence of Spanish heritage speakers: Syntax, lexical-semantics and processing. International Journal of Bilingualism 9, 4.
Montrul, S. 2005. On knowledge and development of unaccusativity in Spanish L2 acquisition. Linguistics 43, 6, 1153–1190.
Montrul, S. 2005. Second language acquisition and first language loss in adult early bilinguals: Exploring some differences and similarities. Second Language Research 21, 3, 199–249.
Montrul, S. 2004. Subject and object expression in Spanish heritage speakers: A case of morpho-syntactic convergence. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 7, 2, 125–142. Special issue on Convergence edited by Jacqueline Toribio.
Montrul, S. 2004. Psycholinguistic evidence for split intransitivity in Spanish L2. Applied Psycholinguistics 25, 2. 239-267.
Slabakova, R. and S. Montrul.2003.Genericity and aspect in L2 acquisition. Language Acquisition11, 3, 165-196.
Montrul, S. and R. Slabakova. 2003. Competence similarities between native and near-native speakers: An investigation of the Preterite/Imperfect contrast in Spanish. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 25, 3, 351-398.
Duffield, N., White, L. Bruhn de Garavito, J., Montrul, S. and P. Prévost. 2002. Clitic placement in L2 French: Evidence from sentence matching. Journal of Linguistics 38, 3, 487-525.
Montrul, S. 2002. Incomplete acquisition and attrition of Spanish tense/aspect distinctions in adult bilinguals. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 5, 1, 39-68.
Montrul, S. 2001. The acquisition of causative and inchoative verbs in L2 Turkish. Language Acquisition 9, 1-58.
Montrul, S. 2001. L1-constrained variability in the L2 acquisition of argument structure changing morphology with causative verbs. Second Language Research 17, 2, 144-194.
Montrul, S. 2001. Agentive verbs of manner of motion in Spanish and English. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 23, 2, 171-207.
Montrul, S. 2001. Causatives and transitivity in L2 English. Language Learning 51, 1, 51-106.
Montrul, S. 2000. Transitivity alternations in second language acquisition: Toward a modular view of transfer. Studies in Second Language Acquisition 22, 2, 229-274.
Montrul, S. 1999. Se o no Se: A look at transitive and intransitive verbs. Spanish Applied Linguistics 3, 2, 145-194.
Montrul, S. 1999. Causative errors with unaccusative verbs in Spanish as a second language. Second Language Research 15, 2, 191-219.
Montrul, S. 1998. The L2 acquisition of dative experiencer subjects. Second Language Research 14, 27-61
Montrul, S. 1997. On the parallels between diachronic change and interlanguage grammars: the L2 acquisition of the Spanish dative case system. Spanish Applied Linguistics 1, 87-113.
Book Chapters
Montrul, S. and Rodríguez Louro, C. (in press). “Beyond the syntax of the Null Subject Parameter: A look at the discourse-pragmatic distribution of null and overt subjects by L2 learners of Spanish.” In L. Escobar and V. Torrens, (Eds.). The Acquisition of Syntax in Romance Languages. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. Submitted June 1 st 2005.
Perpiñán-Hinarejos and Montrul, S. (in press). “On Binding Asymmetries in Dative Alternation Constructions in L2 Spanish” Selected papers from the 7 th Hispanic Linguistics Symposium. Sommerville: Cascadilla Press.
Montrul, S. (forthcoming in 2006). “Incomplete Acquisition as a Feature of L2 and Bilingual Grammars” In R. Slabakova, S. Montrul and P. Prévost (Eds). Inquiries in language development. Studies in Honor of Lydia White. Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Slabakova R. and S. Montrul (forthcoming) “L2 Acquisition at the Grammar-Discourse Interface: Aspectual Shifts in L2 Spanish.” In Liceras, J., H. Zobl and H. Goodluck (Eds.), The Role of Features in Second Language Acquisition. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Montrul, S. 2004. “Convergent Outcomes in Second Language Acquisition and First Language Loss.“ In M. Schmid, B. Köpke, M. Keijzer and L. Weilemar (Eds.), First Language Attrition: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Methodological Issues (pp. 259-280). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Montrul, S. and Salaberry, R. 2003. “The Acquisition of Spanish Tense and Aspect.” In B. Lafford and R. Salaberry (Eds.), The Acquisition of Spanish: The State of the Science (pp. 47-73).Washington DC: Georgetown University Press.
Montrul, S. 2002. “Competence and Performance Differences Between Monolinguals and 2 nd Generation Bilinguals in the Tense/Aspect Domain.” In C. Clements, K. Geeslin and J. Lee (Eds.), Structure, Meaning and Acquisition in Spanish (pp. 93-114). Sommerville: MA. Cascadilla Press.
Montrul, S. and Slabakova, R. 2002. “Acquiring Morphosyntactic and Semantic Properties of Aspectual Tenses in L2 Spanish.” In A-T Pérez-Léroux and J. Liceras (Eds.), The Acquisition of Spanish Morphosyntax: The L1/L2 Connection. (pp. 131-149). Dordrecht: Kluwer.
Slabakova, R. and Montrul, S. 2002. “Aspectual Tenses in L2 Spanish: A UG Perspective.” In R. Salaberry and Y. Shirai (Eds.), Tense-Aspect Morphology in L2 Acquisition (pp. 359-391). Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Montrul, S. 2000. “Causative Psych Verbs in Spanish L2 Acquisition.” In R. Leow and C. Sanz (Eds.). Spanish Applied Linguistics at the Turn of the Millennium: Papers from the 1999 Conference on the L1 & L2 Acquisition of Spanish and Portuguese (pp. 97-118).Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Montrul, S. 1999. “Activating AgrIOP in Second Language Acquisition.” In E. Klein and G. Martohardjono (Eds.), The Development of Second Language Grammars. A Generative Approach (pp. 85-111). Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
White, L., Brown, C., Bruhn-Garavito, J. Chen, D. Hirakawa, M. and S. Montrul. 1999. “Psych Verbs in Second Language Acquisition.” In E. Klein and G. Martohardjono (Eds.), The Development of Second Language Grammars. A Generative Approach. (pp. 173-199) Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
White, L., Montrul, S., Hirakawa, M., Chen, D., Bruhn-Garavito, J. and Brown, C. 1998. “L2 Psych Verbs and the T/SM Restriction: The Status of a Zero Causative morpheme.” In M. Beck (Ed.), Morphology and its Interfaces in Second Language Knowledge (pp. 257-282). Amsterdam: John Benjamins.
Montrul, S. 1997. “Gustar Psych Verbs and the Unaccusative se Construction: The Case of Dative Experiencers in SLA.” In W. Glass and A.T. Pérez-Leroux (Eds.), Contemporary Perspectives on the Acquisition of Spanish (pp. 189-207). Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Montrul, S. 1996. “Clitic-doubled Dative Subjects in Spanish.” In K. Zagona (Ed.), Grammatical Theory and Romance Languages (pp. 183-195). Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
Conference Proceedings
Kim, J-H, Montrul, S. and Yoon, J. 2005. “Binding Interpretations by Korean Heritage Speakers and Adult L2 Learners of Korean.” OnlineSupplement to theProceedings of 29 th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development. http://www.bu.edu/linguistics/APPLIED/BUCLD/supp29.html
Kim, Ji-Hye, Montrul, Silvina & Yoon, James. 2004. “The Influence of Dominant Language on the Weaker Language of Bilinguals: The Interpretation of the Korean reflexive caki”, Proceedings of 2004 Linguistic Society of Korea International Summer Conference, Seoul: Korea.
Kim, J-H and Montrul S. 2004. “Binding Interpretations in Korean Heritage Speakers.” Proceedings of 28 th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development (pp. 307-317). Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Kim, J-H. and Montrul S. 2003. “Second Language Influence on First Language Attrition: Interpretation of Korean Binding System.” Proceedings from the 10 th [2003] Harvard International Symposium on Korean Linguistics (The Harvard ISOKL-2003).
Montrul, S. 2003. “Bilingual Unaccusativity.” Proceedings of the 27 thAnnualBoston University Conference on Language Development (pp. 556-567). Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press,
Montrul, S. and Slabakova R. 2002. “On Aspectual Shifts in L2 Spanish.” Proceedings of the Annual26 thBoston University Conference on Language Development (pp. 631-642). Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Montrul, S. 2001. “L1 Influence with Overt/non-overt Morphology in the L2 Acquisition of Argument Structure: Evidence from English and Turkish Causative Verbs.” Proceedings of the 25 thAnnual Boston University Conference on Language Development (pp. 510-521). Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Montrul, S. and R. Slabakova. 2001. “Is Native-like Competence Possible in L2 Acquisition?” Proceedings of the 25 thAnnual Boston University Conference on Language Development (pp. 522-533). Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Slabakova, R. and Montrul, S. 2000. “Acquiring Semantic Properties of Preterite and Imperfect Tenses in L2 Spanish.” Proceedings of the 24 thAnnual Boston University Conference on Language Development. Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Montrul, S. 1999. “The L2 Acquisition of Agentive Verbs of Directed Motion in English.” Proceedings of the 23rd Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development (pp. 462-473). Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Duffield, N., Bruhn de Garavito, J, Montrul, S. and White, L. 1998. “Determining L2 Knowledge of Spanish Clitics On-line and Off-line.” In A. Greenhill et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 22nd Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development (pp.177-188). Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Montrul, S. 1998. “Learning Transitivity Alternations in Spanish as a Second Language.” In S. Montrul and R. Slabakova (Eds.), Proceedings of the Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition (GASLA ‘97). McGill Working Papers in Linguistics (pp. 132-142). McGill University.
Montrul, S. 1997. “Transitivity Alternations in Turkish as a Second Language. In Sorace, A., C. Heycock and R. Shillcock (Eds.), Proceedings of GALA’ 97 Conference on Language Acquisition (pp. 434-439). University of Edinburgh.
White, L., Montrul, S., Chen, D. and Bruhn-Garavito, J. 1997. “L2 Psych Verbs, Zero Morphology and the T/SM Restriction.” In E. Hughes, M. Hughes and A. Greenhill (Eds.),Proceedings of the 21st Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development (pp. 695-706). Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Montrul, S. 1996. “The Second Language Acquisition of Dative Case: From Absolute L1 Influence to Optionality.” In A. Stringfellow, D. Cahana-Amitay, E. Hughes, and Zukowski, A. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development, volume 2, (pp. 505-516). Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Bruhn-Garavito, J. and Montrul, S. 1996. “Verb Movement and Clitic Placement in French and Spanish as a Second Language.” In A. Stringfellow, D. Cahana-Amitay, E. Hughes, and A. Zukowski (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th Annual Boston University Conference on Language Development, volume 1, (pp. 111-122). Sommerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.
Montrul, S. 1994. “Headedness and Argument Structure in Spanish Synthetic Compounds.” In P. Bouillon and S. Estival (Eds.) Proceedings of the Workshop on Compound Nouns (pp. 44-60). Geneva, Switzerland: ISSCO.