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Directionality and complexity of L1 transfer in L2 acquisition: Evidence from L2 Chinese discourse

Published version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Lin, Y 

Abstract

jats:titleAbstract</jats:title> jats:pFirst language (L1) transfer is a common phenomenon in second language (L2) acquisition. However, it will be argued in this article that although there are indeed pervasive influences of learners’ L1 in L2 acquisition, L1 transfer is not everywhere and it can be directional. We compare data from Chang’s (2001b. jats:italicDiscourse effects on the second language acquisition of English and Chinese dative structures.</jats:italic> Honolulu: University of Hawai’i at Manoa PhD dissertation, 2004. Discourse effects on EFL learners’ production of dative constructions. jats:italicJournal of Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences</jats:italic> 33. 145–169.) studies of Chinese-speaking learners of English with data of our study of English-speaking learners of Chinese to examine whether their L2 English discourse and L2 Chinese discourse are equally influenced by their L1 discourse rules. We focus on learners’ answers to jats:italicwh</jats:italic>-questions with a double object construction or a prepositional object construction. The results demonstrate that L1 transfer takes place in Chinese-speaking learners’ L2 English discourse but not in English-speaking learners’ L2 Chinese discourse. This directionality of L1 transfer is accounted for on the basis of computational complexity of linguistic structures involved and on an economical consideration.</jats:p>

Description

Keywords

L1 transfer directionality, L2 English/Chinese discourse, answers to wh-questions

Journal Title

IRAL - International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0019-042X
1613-4141

Volume Title

57

Publisher

Walter de Gruyter GmbH

Rights

All rights reserved