基于语料库的存在句主语确指性及其习得研究

A Corpus-based Study of Definite Subjects of Existential Sentences and Its L2 Acquisition

关于英语存在句"实义主语"是否具有"确指性限制",争论已久。为了解决这一理论问题并探究确指性限制的二语习得问题,本研究利用语料库实证方法,对2个英美经典语料库和3个中国二语学习者语料库进行检索。根据前2个语料库,发现"确指性限制"总体看并不存在,但人称代词表现出绝对的限制性,且存在句中使用确指性主语的现象并不常见。而根据后3个语料库,一方面,中国学生使用存在句的频率稍微偏高,但与L1使用者并无显著差异。另一方面,中国学生使用确指性主语的频率大大低于L1使用者,P值=0.00,表现出显著的差异性。这些现象是由于语言迁移和回避策略造成的。

There have been long arguments about whether there is definiteness restriction to the subject of existential sentences. To solve this theoretical problem and related problems in I2 acquisition, an empiri- cal and systematic study is made of 2 L1 speakers＇ corpora and 3 Chinese L2 learners＇ corpora. Accord- ing to the first two corpora, findings show that ＇＂ definiteness restriction＂ does not exist as a whole but there is absolute restriction to personal pronouns and relatively rare use of definite subjects. According to the last 3 corpora, findings show that Chinese 12 learners tend to use a little more existential sentences though they use far less definite subjects than LI speakers, which may be caused by linguistic transfer and evasion strategy of L2 learners.