The Acquisition of English Complementizers in Canonical Vs. Noncanonical Structures

Abstract

This research aims to scrutinize the acquisition of English complementizers (comps) by Chinese EFL learners, whose L1 does not have overt comps. Two questionnaires were designed and 73 English majors from a national university in Southern Taiwan were invited to participate in this experiment. Responses to Questionnaire One comprising 20 sentences of canonical structures showed that all five comps were acquired well except for the comp for. Responses to Questionnaire Two consisting of 39 sentences of noncanonical structures showed an opposite result that no comps were acquired except for that by High group participants. It was found the grammatical features of [finite] and [WH] in English comps and their compatibility with the matrix verb were not fully mastered by Chinese EFL learners because structural alternations in comp usage often confused them. The grammatical function of case assignment of English comps was not acquired. Further, Chinese EFL learners lacked the concept that English clauses were CP in structure and hence invariably dropped or misused the semantic-empty comp when the clause was dislocated to noncanonical positions. The results of this study support the Functional Module of Full Transfer Partial Access Hypothesis.

由於華語並無顯性補語連詞，本研究的目的為細究華語英語學習者習得英語補語連詞的情形。研究方式為設計兩型問卷及邀請南部一所國立大學七十三位英語主修生參加測試。問卷一包含二十句補語連詞位於典型結構中的句子，受試者的回答顯示英語的五個補語連詞除了for以外都已習得，問卷二包含三十九句補語連詞位於非典型結構中的句子，受試者的回答卻呈現相反的結果，除了進階組顯現習得that以外，其他補語連詞都沒有呈現已習得現象。研究結果顯現華語學習者對英語子句補語連詞的［finite］與［WH］屬性與母句動詞的協調一致性掌握得並不完全，因為當結構有變化時常會造成使用的混淆，補語連詞授予格位的句法功能也未習得，足證明華語學習者並無學會英語子句是CP結構的認知，因此當子句移位到非典性位置時總是誤用或掉了補語連詞，因為補語連詞語意空靈。本研究的結果支持完全轉移部分獲得（FTPA）的功能模組習得理論。