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Awareness of linguistic constraints on variable ne omission*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2008

Aidan Coveney
Aidan Coveney
Affiliation:
Department of French, University, Exeter, EX4 4QH, e-mail: a.b.coveney@exeter.ac.uk
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Abstract

Many quantitative studies have shown that sociolinguistic variables, such as the variable omission of ne, are subject to several linguistic constraints, yet linguists have disagreed as to whether speakers themselves are aware of these constraints. This article reports on an Intuitions Elicitation Test designed to explore whether such awareness does exist, both for native-speakers and non-native advanced learners of French. It is suggested tentatively that the results of the test do indeed indicate some awareness of some linguistic constraints on the ne variable, and that some advanced non-native learners have a particular sensitivity to these constraints.

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Type
Articles
Information
Journal of French Language Studies , Volume 8 , Issue 2 , September 1998 , pp. 159 - 187
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

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