Examination of Telicity in Language Acquisition and Translation

This paper examines the phenomenon of telicity, or goal-orientedness of events, in language acquisition and translation, focusing on the cross-linguistic differences between Ukrainian and English. The study explores how these distinctions influence first (L1) and second (L2) language acquisition and affect translation accuracy and processing. The research highlights two primary methods of telicity marking: English employs a compositional system dependent on direct object properties, whereas Ukrainian, like other Slavic languages, uses morphological markers such as perfective prefixes. Findings from first language acquisition studies suggest that predicate-based telicity systems, as found in Ukrainian, facilitate earlier and more accurate acquisition due to their explicit morphological encoding. Conversely, languages that mark telicity compositionally, such as English, require learners to integrate multiple linguistic components, resulting in a more protracted acquisition process. Second language acquisition research reveals that L2 learners of English from languages without a determiner system often struggle with compositional telicity but show improvement with proficiency. Similarly, English-speaking Ukrainian learners initially rely on their L1 mechanisms but eventually acquire predicate telicity marking as their proficiency increases. These findings hold significant implications for translation studies. The inherent structural differences in telicity marking between English and Ukrainian can lead to translation challenges, particularly regarding aspectual nuances. Professional translators must be aware of these linguistic contrasts to ensure accurate cross-linguistic interpretation of event structures. Ultimately, this study underscores the role of telicity in shaping cognitive and linguistic processes, highlighting its relevance for both theoretical linguistics and applied translation studies.