Page 1 |
Save page Remove page | Previous | 1 of 231 | Next |
|
small (250x250 max)
medium (500x500 max)
large ( > 500x500)
Full Resolution
All (PDF)
|
This page
All
Subset |
THE NEGATION-NUMERICAL NP INTERACTION
IN NON-NATIVE CHINESE:
UG, POS PROBLEM, AND SYNTACTIC ANALYSES
by
Yan Li
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
(EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES)
August 2008
Copyright 2008 Yan Li
Object Description
| Title | The negation-numerical NP interaction |
| Author | Li, Yan |
| Author email | liya@usc.edu |
| Degree | Doctor of Philosophy |
| Document type | Dissertation |
| Degree program | East Asian Languages & Cultures |
| School | College of Letters, Arts and Sciences |
| Date defended/completed | 2008-05-09 |
| Date submitted | 2008 |
| Restricted until | Restricted until 29 July 2010. |
| Date published | 2010-07-29 |
| Advisor (committee chair) | Li, Yen-hui Audrey |
| Advisor (committee member) |
Kim, Nam-kil Simpson, Andrew |
| Abstract | This dissertation is an investigation of the possible influence of native language English (L1), and universal grammar (UG) on the acquisition of a non-native language Chinese (L2), through an examination of how English-speaking L2 Chinese learners acquire the knowledge of the interpretation of Chinese sentences containing negation (Neg) and numerically quantified noun phrases (QNP) in object position.; Two research questions are investigated: (1) Can English-speaking L2 Chinese learners overcome the Poverty-of-the-Stimulus problem and produce native-like interpretation of L2 sentences containing negation and a numerical NP in object position? (2) If English-speaking L2 Chinese learners do overcome the POS problem, what factors in the L2 can help them to reset the parameters?; Two experiments were carried out to answer these research questions. Experiment 1 employed the methodology of Truth Value Judgment Task to test English-speaking L2 Chinese learners' interpretation of sentences containing negation and a numerical NP in object position. The results suggest that L1 transfer occurred in the initial state of acquisition, but the POS problem can be overcome due to the accessibility of UG to L2 learners. Experiment 2 tests predications made by syntactic analyses on second language acquisition to see whether the acquisition of the interpretation of sentences containing negation and a numerical NP in object position is related to the acquisition of other aspects of the Chinese language. The test results indicated that the acquisition of the correct placement of adjuncts is not the trigger helping L2 learners successfully acquire the knowledge to interpret sentences containing negation and a numerical NP in object position. The knowledge that Chinese numerical NPs are not free to take subject position might be regulated under the same parameters as the acquisition of the interpretation of sentences containing negation and a numerical NP in object position. It is concluded that both the L1 and UG may inform L2 acquisition of phenomena at the syntax-semantics interpretive interface. |
| Keyword | language acquisition; scope; negation |
| Language | English |
| Part of collection | University of Southern California dissertations and theses |
| Publisher (of the original version) | University of Southern California |
| Place of publication (of the original version) | Los Angeles, California |
| Publisher (of the digital version) | University of Southern California. Libraries |
| Type | texts |
| Legacy record ID | usctheses-m1441 |
| Rights | Li, Yan |
| Repository name | Libraries, University of Southern California |
| Repository address | Los Angeles, California |
| Repository email | http://www.usc.edu/isd/libraries/services/ask_a_librarian/email/ |
| Filename | etd-Li-20080729 |
| Archival file | uscthesesreloadpub_Volume23/etd-Li-20080729.pdf |
Description
| Title | Page 1 |
| Full text | THE NEGATION-NUMERICAL NP INTERACTION IN NON-NATIVE CHINESE: UG, POS PROBLEM, AND SYNTACTIC ANALYSES by Yan Li A Dissertation Presented to the FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (EAST ASIAN LANGUAGES AND CULTURES) August 2008 Copyright 2008 Yan Li |
Comments
Post a Comment for Page 1
