An Experimental Study on the Acquisition of Middles and Unaccusatives in English by Korean Speakers
2
조회
0
다운로드
0
인용
0
참고문헌
키워드
초록
Although middle and unaccusative constructions have been extensively studied in the theoretical literature, empirical investigations into these constructions are scant. Moreover, experimental work comparing the acquisition of unaccusatives with that of middles is even rarer. With such a backdrop, this paper has probed whether Korean speakers are able to acquire subtle grammatical properties of middles and to reliably distinguish middles and unaccusatives in English. Middles and unaccusatives share similarities but they also exhibit differences: (1) middles have an implicit agent whereas unaccusatives do not; (2) middles require adverbial support whereas unaccusatives do not; (3) middles are stative whereas unaccusatives are eventive. The empirical domain of the present study lies in such differences between the two. As evidenced by graded unacceptability of middles even among native speakers, the acquisition of middles and unaccusatives poses a challenging learnability problem to L2 learners. Surprisingly, the results of the study showed that L2 learners at the low level of proficiency made the relevant distinction between the two whereas L2 learners at the high level of proficiency largely failed to do so. A closer examination revealed that Korean L2 learners’ treatments of middles were consistent, that of rejection. This speaks to the point that a distinction or lack of distinction is mainly attributed to their either correct or incorrect judgments on unaccusatives. Taken together, we have argued that L2 learners’ judgment on middles does not improve with proficiency and that the acquisition of middles lags behind that of unaccusatives. We have also accounted for what made advanced learners regress, being trapped in rejection of middles.
Abstract
Although middle and unaccusative constructions have been extensively studied in the theoretical literature, empirical investigations into these constructions are scant. Moreover, experimental work comparing the acquisition of unaccusatives with that of middles is even rarer. With such a backdrop, this paper has probed whether Korean speakers are able to acquire subtle grammatical properties of middles and to reliably distinguish middles and unaccusatives in English. Middles and unaccusatives share similarities but they also exhibit differences: (1) middles have an implicit agent whereas unaccusatives do not; (2) middles require adverbial support whereas unaccusatives do not; (3) middles are stative whereas unaccusatives are eventive. The empirical domain of the present study lies in such differences between the two. As evidenced by graded unacceptability of middles even among native speakers, the acquisition of middles and unaccusatives poses a challenging learnability problem to L2 learners. Surprisingly, the results of the study showed that L2 learners at the low level of proficiency made the relevant distinction between the two whereas L2 learners at the high level of proficiency largely failed to do so. A closer examination revealed that Korean L2 learners’ treatments of middles were consistent, that of rejection. This speaks to the point that a distinction or lack of distinction is mainly attributed to their either correct or incorrect judgments on unaccusatives. Taken together, we have argued that L2 learners’ judgment on middles does not improve with proficiency and that the acquisition of middles lags behind that of unaccusatives. We have also accounted for what made advanced learners regress, being trapped in rejection of middles.
참고문헌 (24)
- Ackema, P., "Middles and Non-movement", Linguistic Inquiry, 26(1), pp.173~197 (1995)
- Alexiadou, Artemis, "Active, Middle, and Passive: the Morph-syntax of Voice", Catalan Journal of Linguistics, 13, pp.19~40 (2014)
- Baker, Mark C., "Elements of Grammar: Handbook of Generative Syntax", pp.73~137 (1997), Kluwer Academic Publishers
- Balcom, Patricia, "Why Is This Happened? Passive Morphology and Unaccusativity", Second Language Research, 13, pp.1~19 (1997)
- Chan, Mable, "The Acquisition of Middles and Unaccusatives by Cantonese ESL Speakers", Master’s, pp.1997
- 전부미, "중간구문의 문제적 특성에 대한 성향론적 접근", 언어과학, 22(3), pp.199~218 (2015), 한국언어과학회[DOI]
- Fagan, S.M.B., "The English Middle", Linguistic Inquiry, 19, pp.181~203 (1998)
- On the Middle Constructions in English. Westminster Choir College, "Fellbaum, Christiane", Indiana University Linguistics Club, ~ (1986)
- Fillmore, Charles, "Universals in Linguistic Theory", pp.1~99 (1968), Holt, Reinhart and Winston
- Goldberg, Adele E., "Handbook of Pragmatics", pp.427~441 (2004), Blackwell
- Hirakawa, Makiko., "L2 Acquisition of English Unaccusative Constructions", Proceedings of the 19th Boston University Conference on Language Development (1995), Cascadilla Press
- Ju, Min Kyong, "Overpassivization Errors by Second Language Learners: The Effect of Conceptualizable Agents in Discourse", Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 22(1), pp.85~111 (2000)
- Juffs, Alan, "Learnability and the Lexicon" (1996), John Benjamins
- Keyer, Samuel Jay, "On the Middle and Ergative Constructions in English", Linguistic Inquiry, 15, pp.381~416 (1984)
- O’Grady, William D., "The Derived Intransitive Construction in English", Lingua, 52, pp.57~72 (1980)
- Oshita, Hiroyuki, "L2 Acquisition of English Unaccusative Verbs: Structural, Crosslinguistic, and Developmental Aspects" (1997), University of Southern California
- Middle Constructions in German, "Pitz, A.", ~ (1987)
- Rapoport, T. R., "The English Middle and Agentivity", Linguistic Inquiry, 30(1), pp.147~155 (1999)
- 신정아, "Overpassivization Errors in Korean College Students’ English Writings", 응용언어학, 27(3), pp.255~273 (2011), 한국응용언어학회
- Stroik, Thomas, "Middles and Movement", Linguistic Inquiry, 23, pp.127~137 (1992)
- Yang, Charles, "Knowledge and Learning in Natural Language" (2002), Oxford University Press
- Yang, Heisoon, "Syntax and Semantics of Ergative and Middle Construction", Language Research, 30, pp.75~97 (1994)
- Yip, Virginia, "Interlanguage and Learnability: From Chinese to English" (1995), John Benjamins
- Zobl, Helmut., "Linguistic Perspectives on Second Language Acquisition", pp.203~221 (1989), Cambridge University Press