Postverbal subject in Italian L2 : a processability theory approach

In any language, for a variety of pragmatic reasons, the same propositional content can be expressed in different perspectives, which then require a range of structural realisations. In most languages, sentences may vary between active and passive, between affirmative and question forms, etc. Speakers may also choose to place constituents in prominent positions by topicalising or focusing them, or they may choose not to do so. Many of these structural choices are devices for directing the hearer's attention, and contribute to the representation of meaning, making communication very effective. However, how and how often these devices are deployed is very much language-specific. The native speaker uses them effortlessly, but for the L2 learner these choices are limited. That is, they are moderated by the current state of their language processer. Processability Theory offers a principled and parsimonious account of grammatical development in interlanguage.