Interlanguage and learnability : from Chinese to English / Virginia Yip.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Yip, Virginia, 1962-

Series:

Language acquisition & language disorders ; 11.

Language acquisition & language disorders ; v. 11

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

English language--Study and teaching--Chinese speakers.

English language.

Language and languages--Study and teaching.

Language and languages.

Interlanguage (Language learning).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (263 pages)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Amsterdam ; Philadelphia : J. Benjamins Pub., 1995.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book investigates a set of structures characteristic of Chinese speakers' English interlanguage (CIL) in the light of grammatical theory and principles of learnability. As a study of CIL grammar, it illuminates both the theory of interlanguage syntax in general and some specific problems in the acquisition of English by Chinese L1 learners. A set of interrelated structures are investigated, including topicalization, passive, ergative, "tough movement" and existential constructions.

Contents:

CONTENTS; Acknowledgments; List of Abbreviations; List of Tables and Figures; Chapter 1. The Theory of Interlanguage; 1.0. Introduction; 1.1. CIL as a Language: From Error Analysis to Interlanguage Grammar; 1.2. Investigating Interlanguage Competence; 1.3. The Nature of Interlanguage; 1.4. Prior Linguistic Knowledge and Language Transfer; 1.5. Universal Grammar; 1.6. Conclusion; Notes to Chapter 1; Chapter 2. A Framework for Second Language Learnability; 2.0. Introduction; 2.1. The Logical Problem of L1 and L2 Acquisition; 2.2. Learnability Theory; 2.3. The Subset Principle; 2.4. Preemption

2.5. Conclusion; Notes to Chapter 2; Chapter 3. Comparative Typology and Learnability; 3.0. Introduction; 3.1. Status of Topic; 3.2. Topic-prominence vs. Subject-prominence; 3.3. Topic-prominence and Learnability; 3.4. Conclusion; Notes to Chapter 3; Chapter 4. Pseudo-passives:""These sentences can analyze many ways""; 4.0. Introduction; 4.1. Pseudo-passives in CIL; 4.2. The Pseudo-passive as a Malformed Passive; 4.3. The Pseudo-passive as Topicalization; 4.4. Judgment Data; 4.5. On Learnability; 4.6. Conclusion; Notes to Chapter 4

Chapter 5. Ergative Constructions:""What is happened with these verbs?""5.0. Introduction; 5.1. Passivized Ergatives in CIL; 5.2. Comparative Grammar of Ergative Constructions; 5.3. Interlanguage Ergatives; 5.4. Judgment Data; 5.5. Learnability: Why Are Ergative Constructions So Hard to Acquire?; 5.6. Conclusion; Notes to Chapter 5; Chapter 6. Tough Movement:""Never easy to be learned""; 6.0. Introduction; 6.1. Tough-Movement in English; 6.2. ""Pseudo-Tough-Movement"" in CIL; 6.3. Comparative Grammar af Raising and Tough-Movement; 6.4. Pseudo-Tough-Movement as an Interlanguage Innovation

6.5. Tough-Movement Acquisition in L1 and L2; 6.6. Tough-Movement and the Typology of Raising; 6.7. Judgment Data; 6.8. Learnability; 6.9. Conclusion; Notes to Chapter 6; Chapter 7. Existential Constructions and Indefinite Subjects:""There are sentences cause learnability problems""; 7.0. Introduction; 7.1. Existential Pseudo-relatives in CIL; 7.2. Comparative Grammar of Existential Constructions; 7.3. Analysis of the CIL Pseudo-relative Construction; 7.4. Learnability and Acquisition of Target Structures; 7.5. Conclusion; Notes to Chapter 7; Chapter 8. Summary and Implications

8.0. Introduction; 8.1. Implications for SLA Research; 8.2. Second Language Acquisition and Learnability; 8.3. Conclusion; Notes to Chapter 8; Appendix A: Questionnaire on Pseudo-passives and Related Structures; Appendix B: Questionnaire on Ergative Verbs and Related Structures; Appendix C: Questionnaire on Tough-Movement and Related Structures; References; Index of Authors; Index of Subjects

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

1-283-28019-1

9786613280190

90-272-8173-4

OCLC:

748242175