Exploring the Roles of Redundancy andAmbiguity in Variable Subject Expression: A Comparison of Native andNon-native Speakers

Historically, our knowledge of the process of learning to vary language use like a native speaker (NS) has been based primarily on research on second-language (L2) French (e.g., Mougeon & Dewaele, 2004; Mougeon, Rehner & Nadasdi, 2004) and English (e.g., Adamson & Regan, 1991; Bayley & Preston, 1996; Young, 1991). Nevertheless, studies on variation in L2 Spanish have recently appeared and have shed light on variation in copula selection, mood use and variation across tasks (Geeslin, 2003; Geeslin & Gudmestad, 2008a; Geeslin & Guijarro-Fuentes, 2006; Gudmestad, 2008). What these studies have in common is that they indicate that the second language acquisition (SLA) of variation, as well as contrasts between NSs and non-native speakers (NNSs), can be described by the frequency of selection of a variant and the linguistic and social factors that condition the use of that variant. Thus, the process of SLA involves gaining the ability to identify those contexts where variation is permissible along with the ability to use such variants with the appropriate frequency and in response to the appropriate conditioning factors (linguistic and/or social). The overarching purpose of the present investigation is to further this body of research on L2 variation. In order to advance our knowledge of the SLA of variation, the current study focuses on subject expression in Spanish. Variable subject expression provides a rich avenue for better understanding and explaining L2 variation because, unlike the aforementioned studies of Spanish, it has already been studied extensively using contemporary sociolinguistic analyses. This existing research on subject expression among NSs has allowed us to delve more deeply into the effects of specific variables for NSs and NNSs, rather than beginning with a search for relevant predictive factors. In addition, our research differs from most existing research in two important ways, each of which allows us to make additional contributions to the field. Firstly, it has been noted that the ‘envelope of variation’ (e.g., Cameron, 1994) for subject expression, or the distinction between categorical and variable contexts, is not quantitatively documented for NSs and that this issue may even be more complex for learners because interlanguage can exhibit variability where a first language system does not (Geeslin & Gudmestad, 2008b; Otheguy & Zentella 2007). Therefore, examining subject expression in the full range of tensed verbal contexts and its relationship to individual linguistic factors allows us to examine subject expression choices in all contexts where variability may exist and furthers our knowledge of the ‘envelope of variation’ because it enables us to empirically identify obligatory contexts for NSs and NNSs in any category of the independent variables we examine. Secondly, whereas most previous sociolinguistic investigations have focused on animate subjects whose subject-expression forms were null or personal pronouns (e.g., Bayley & Pease-Álvarez, 1997; Cameron, 1994; Comajoan, 2006; Flores-Ferrán, 2004), we broaden the scope of our analysis to include all forms produced in the subject position of tensed verbs. This approach is especially appropriate when dealing with language learners