Learning and unlearning Verb Second word order

Abstract

The topic of this chapter is Verb Second (V2) word order, which is primarily found in main clauses in most of the Germanic languages. The chapter first describes the standard theoretical analyses of this syntactic phenomenon and then goes on to provide an overview of what we know about the acquisition of V2 by monolingual children as well as simultaneously and successively bilingual children. This is followed by a more detailed overview of the research literature on nonnative acquisition of V2 by adolescents and adults, from the 1980s to this day. The focus lies on landmark empirical studies of V2 acquisition from the 2000s, mainly investigating L2 and L3 German, and on how the findings have impacted theories of nonnative language acquisition (particularly with regard to cross-linguistic influence) and the theoretical analysis of V2. A point is made that the microvariation attested across Germanic V2 languages deserves more attention. Finally, the chapter explores potential weakening or loss of V2 in urban ethnolects and in heritage languages and concludes with reflections concerning methodology and future avenues for research.