ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we discuss definitions of lexical aspect and lexical aspectual categories, and we assess their relative importance in guiding the empirical study of second language (L2) acquisition. Our analysis focuses on the theoretical and methodological challenges associated with the use of the concept of lexical aspect to conduct the analysis of L2 data. In the first section, we analyze the classification of lexical aspectual categories framed by specific contextual conditions (e.g., the shift from a state to an achievement predicate), and we outline some options to delimit the notion of lexical aspect as a distinct concept from viewpoint aspect. In the second section, we assess the extent to which the notion of lexical aspect has been useful in developing various hypotheses that try to account for the acquisition of temporality and aspect in L2 development. Finally, in the third section, we analyze some findings across empirical studies to highlight the role played by prototypical and non-prototypical instances of verbal predicates to better capture the shifting nature of the concept of lexical aspect. We subsequently assess the role of processing factors associated with the use of prototypical and non-prototypical instances of lexical aspect to identify some potential pathways to expand the range of research options associated with lexical aspect in future studies.
