This book uniquely illustrates how second language acquisition (SLA)
data can instigate linguistic exploration and help inform linguistic and
acquisition theory in crucial ways. It also offers new perspectives
toward our understanding of the relationship between first and second
language acquisition, Universal Grammar (UG), and the target language
input. Specifically, examination of the L2 development of pied-piping
and preposition stranding in English questions and relative clauses
shows that the required preposition is frequently omitted by learners
who have demonstrated accurate subcategorization knowledge of verbal
complements in related declarative constructions. The `null-prep' data
in the L2 grammar leads to an important cross-linguistic investigation
of this largely ignored syntactic phenomenon in the world's languages;
it also motivates exploration of the complex English input learners
receive as positive evidence. An analysis of null-prep, piping and
stranding is posited, including the relevant principles and parameters
of UG involved. Based on this linguistic analysis, alternative
explanations for the L2 phenomenon are offered, representing challenges
to UG and markedness-based accounts of second language acquisition. Such
challenges will be of interest to linguists as well as to students,
teachers, reseachers and scholars interested in second language
acquisition, particularly in its relationship to UG.