论二语习得中第一语言迁移的方向性及经济性原则——以二语句法和二语语篇为例袁博平

Directionality of first language transfer and economy principle in second language acquisition:Evidence from L2 syntax and discourse

本文对美国学者Schwartz&Sprouse(1994、1996)提出的“第一语言全面迁移”理论假设提出了质疑,并认为虽然第一语言迁移在二语习得中是经常发生的现象,但并非是必然发生的现象,它是有方向性的。Chomsky(1995、1998)里的一个论点就是,人类语言的操作遵循经济性原则,语言单位的衍生应该越简单越好,尽量减少操作程序。笔者认为人类语言中的这种经济性原则同样也适用于第二语言,经济性原则能够抵消第一语言迁移在二语习得中的影响。这一推理可以用来解释为什么法语和德语中的题元动词提升并没有在法语母语者、德语母语者的汉语二语中出现;同时也可以解释为什么英语母语者没有把wh-疑问词提升从他们的母语英语迁移到他们的汉语二语中来。除此之外,本文还讨论为什么母语是汉语的英语学习者在学习英语语篇时,受到汉语重复模仿策略的极大而又广泛的影响,而母语是英语的汉语学习者学习汉语语篇时却几乎没有受到第一语言迁移的影响。

This article challenges the“Full Transfer”hypothesis for second language(L2)acquisition proposed by Schwartz&Sprouse(1994,1996),and argues that although first language(L1)transfer is a common and pervasive phenomenon in L2 acquisition,it is not inevitable and it is directional.One of the arguments in Chomsky’s Minimalist Program(1995,1998)is that linguistic operations are subject to the principle of economy and that derivations should be as small as possible and be applied in a way that minimises computation.It is argued in this article that the economy principle in human language also applies to second languages,and that the economic principle can override L1 transfer in L2 acquisition.This argument is used in the article to account for the findings that verb raising in French and German is not transferred into French and German speakers’L2 Chinese;it can also explain why English speakers do not transfer wh-movement from their L1 English wh-questions to their L2 Chinese.In addition,this article discusses why Chinese-speaking learners of English are very much influenced by the echoicity strategy in their L2 English discourse,while English-speaking learners of Chinese are almost immune to the L1 influence in this aspect.