Il ruolo della lingua materna nell'acquisizione di L2 in prospettiva tipologica

Typological distance, claimed to govern L1 influence in second language acquisition, is defined on the basis of shared grammatical categories and features of the languages involved and of the asymmetries of their features in terms of markedness. L1 influence and typological distance with respect to the L2 are in inversely proportional terms. L1 influence is respectively superficial and form oriented or deep, occurring at abstract levels of the grammatical system or conditioning the orientation of the acquisition process. Parameters of typological distance and related types of influence are illustrated on the basis of Italian and other Indoeuropean and non-Indoeuropean languages. The acknowledggment of typological distance as a relevant factor in L1 influence in second language acquisition allows a better diagnosis of learners’ errors.