双语儿童语法的交互发展——特殊疑问句建立过程的启示

Interdependent Development in Bilingual Grammar Acquisition-What We Can Learn From a Case Study of Development of Wh-questions in an English-Cantonese Bilingual Child

通过长期跟踪调查一名双语儿童(英语、粤语)特殊疑问句的发展过程,本文试图回答双语儿童语法习得研究中的两个基本问题:1)两套语法究竟是自主发展还是交互发展;2)是否存在从强势语到弱势语的迁移现象。研究结果表明,在双语儿童特殊疑问句的发展过程中,由于英语特殊疑问句在一段时间内受到粤语特殊疑问句影响,从而出现许多特殊疑问词留在原位的情况,同时还出现跨语际的a/thewhat结构,影响方向是强势语影响弱势语。该结果明确支持两套语法交互发展假设。

This paper, based on a longitudinal investigation of how an English-Cantonese bilingual child acquires wh-questions in the two languages, addresses the two fundamental issues in the study of bilingual acquisition: (1) whether two grammars develop autonomously in the sense that two language systems are constructed separately, each resembling that developed by monolingual children or whether there is interdependent development of two language systems whereby one system interacts with the other, resulting in a different picture of development; (2) what is the directionality of transfer if interaction between the two language systems exists Based on findings of this longitudinal study we argue that one developing stage can be identified where wh-questions produced by the child reveal systematic influence coming from Cantonese with many cases of wh-words remaining in-situ. The direction of influence goes from the dominant language to the less dominant one. This result lends strong support to the interdependent development hypothesis.