The development of L2 Italian morphosyntax in adult learners with limited literacy

Even a quick glance at the indexes of the most important journals on second language acquisition or the programmes of the main conferences in this field immediately reveals that the vast majority
of research concerns educated and literate learners. Indeed, attention to the role that low or non-literacy plays in adult acquisition of a non-mother tongue is still peripheral, if not almost non-existent. This is unfortunate if we consider that low literacy and schooling rates are a significant factor in new migrations in Europe, including Italy. The result of field research conducted in
Palermo, this volume contributes to filling this gap by reconstructing the pathway through which verbal morphosyntax develops in Italian spoken by low and non-literate learners, and by comparing this pathway with that which has emerged from decades of research on second language acquisition.