Résumés
Abstract
The study explores the extent to which the intrinsic complexity of relative clauses (RCs) and prior linguistic knowledge impact the acquisition of RCs by L2 learners. The study investigates the main sources of the erroneous and avoided types of English RCs produced by Persian-speaking learners of English at three proficiency levels. The data elicitation task was a translation test comprised of six types of RCs modeled on the RC types in the Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy. To analyze the data, the occurrence frequencies of the correctly and erroneously formed RCs were counted and the avoided RCs were identified in each RC type. Then, a precise error analysis was done. The statistical analysis of 3840 RCs showed that the most common error types were (i) forming English RCs with resumptive pronouns and (ii) altering more-marked RCs with non-canonical word order to less-marked RCs with canonical word order. The errors are interpreted as evidence for the impact of both L1 transfer and the universal intrinsic constraints of RCs. The analysis of the avoided RC types, mostly the more marked RCs, indicates that avoidance is mainly linked to the universal intrinsic constraints of RCs.
Keywords:
- additional language learning,
- language transfer,
- grammatical competence
Résumé
L'étude explore dans quelle mesure la complexité intrinsèque des clauses relatives (RC) et les connaissances linguistiques préalables influencent l'acquisition des RC par les apprenants de L2. L'étude examine les principales sources des types erronés et évités de RC anglais produits par des apprenants d'anglais persan à trois niveaux de compétence. La tâche d'obtention de données était un test de traduction composé de six types de RC modélisés sur les types de RC dans la hiérarchie d'accessibilité des expressions nominales. Pour analyser les données, les fréquences d'occurrence des RC formés correctement et par erreur ont été comptées et les RC évités ont été identifiés dans chaque type de RC. Ensuite, une analyse précise des erreurs a été réalisée. L'analyse statistique de 3840 RC a montré que les types d'erreurs les plus courants étaient (i) la formation de RC anglais avec des pronoms résomptifs et (ii) la modification de RC plus marqués avec un ordre non canonique des mots en RC moins marqués avec un ordre canonique des mots. Les erreurs sont interprétées comme une preuve de l’impact à la fois du transfert L1 et des contraintes intrinsèques universelles des RC. L’analyse des types de RC évités, principalement les plus marqués, indique que l’évitement est principalement lié aux contraintes intrinsèques universelles des RC.
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