二语习得句法发展理论初探——汉语为母语的学习者对英语“否定”的习得

Exploration on Syntax Development Theory in Second Language Acquisition-The Acquisition of English Negation by Chinese Learners

本文以汉语为母语的学习者为研究对象,通过其对英语系动词、主位动词及情态动词"否定"的习得来探讨两种二语习得句法发展理论:最小树理论和完全转移理论。实验采用了语法判断和翻译方式。由于数据中没有证据证实完全转移理论所支持的not+modal结构,且实验对象不完全地习得了情态动词的否定范围,所以最小树理论在解释以汉语为母语的学习者对英语否定习得时更具优势。

This paper aims at testing Minimal Tree Theory(MT) and Full Transfer/Full Access Theory(FT/ FA) by investigating Chinese speakers' acquisition of L2 English copula,thematic verb and modal negation. MT claims that L2 initial state consists of lexical categories only,while FT/FA claims that L2 initial state is the final state of L1. My hypothesis for MT is that,at the initial stage,constructions 'no/not + without copula be' and 'no/not + thematic verb' should be present in the data;when IP is established,there will be increased use of 'be + not' and 'don't + thematic verb' in the data,construction 'modal + not' should be dominant and Chinese learners are assumed to be aware of the scope differences of English modal negation. My hypothesis for FT/FA is that constructions 'no/not + without copula be or with copula be',and 'no/not + thematic verb' should be present initially;for modal negation,constructions 'not + modal' and 'modal + not should' both appear,and Chinese learners at this later stage would realize only narrow scope of negation because of L1 transfer. The experiment for this study includes grammaticality judgment task and translation task,the results of which provide more evidence for MT than for FT/FA,in that there is no evidence for the construction 'not + modal' predicted by FT/FA in the data,and the Chinese learners tested appear to have acquired the scope of negation of English modals though the acquisition is incomplete,specifically speaking,they have acquired the scope of negation of modals can,may/ might,need,dare,but not modals should and must.