dialect acquisition

[Dennis R. Preston]

The notion that very closely related languages or even dialects of
the same language are, in some respects, more difficult to learn than
"another language" is an oft informally referred to notion among us.
(I am guilty.) Does anyone have any references for this claim? Either
ones which simply make it or (better of course) ones which have done
some empirical work on the question.

dInIs
--
Dennis R. Preston
Department of Linguistics and Languages
Michigan State University
East Lansing MI 48824-1027 USA
preston at pilot.msu.edu
Office: (517)353-0740
Fax: (517)432-2736