John Benjamins Publishing Company
Chapter 3. The emergence of sentence Topic in a Topicprominent language
Abstract
The present study investigates the L2 developmental course of the sentence Topic in a Topic-prominent language – Mandarin Chinese. It examines the structural, the semantic and the discourse-pragmatic aspects of the Topic development, thereby focusing on the word order, the semantic feature of definiteness and the information status of the Topic in the L2 speech data of three adult L2 Mandarin learners of English background. The results show that the structural development of the Topic begins with the canonical order in which the Topic is identified with the Subject, and progresses toward the non-canonical order in which the Topic role is taken by the Object. Although the Topic element is largely encoded with the [+definite] feature, there is evidence to suggest a general lack of awareness for the semantic requirements for the Topic, as well as issues in the understanding of the contextual contrast between the Subject-topic and the Object-topic structures such as the ba-Object construction.
Abstract
The present study investigates the L2 developmental course of the sentence Topic in a Topic-prominent language – Mandarin Chinese. It examines the structural, the semantic and the discourse-pragmatic aspects of the Topic development, thereby focusing on the word order, the semantic feature of definiteness and the information status of the Topic in the L2 speech data of three adult L2 Mandarin learners of English background. The results show that the structural development of the Topic begins with the canonical order in which the Topic is identified with the Subject, and progresses toward the non-canonical order in which the Topic role is taken by the Object. Although the Topic element is largely encoded with the [+definite] feature, there is evidence to suggest a general lack of awareness for the semantic requirements for the Topic, as well as issues in the understanding of the contextual contrast between the Subject-topic and the Object-topic structures such as the ba-Object construction.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Chapter 1. Processability theory 1
-
Interface between Morpho-Syntax and Discourse/Pragmatics/Semantics
- Chapter 2. Processing Alignments 21
- Chapter 3. The emergence of sentence Topic in a Topicprominent language 45
- Chapter 4. The Acquisition of the Ergative Case in Hindi as a Foreign Language 71
- Chapter 5. Response Paper 105
-
Constraints on Processing and Receptive Processing
- Chapter 6. Constraints on Processing 115
- Chapter 7. Studying Receptive Grammar Acquisition within a PT Framework 139
- Chapter 8. Response Paper 169
-
Developments in Instructed Second Language Learning
- Chapter 9. PT meets CA 177
- Chapter 10. Instructing Stages of Processability Theory in L2 Spanish 205
- Chapter 11. Implications of the Developmental Stages of Language Acquisition for Classroom Teaching 239
- Chapter 12. Response Paper 263
- Index 271
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgments vii
- Chapter 1. Processability theory 1
-
Interface between Morpho-Syntax and Discourse/Pragmatics/Semantics
- Chapter 2. Processing Alignments 21
- Chapter 3. The emergence of sentence Topic in a Topicprominent language 45
- Chapter 4. The Acquisition of the Ergative Case in Hindi as a Foreign Language 71
- Chapter 5. Response Paper 105
-
Constraints on Processing and Receptive Processing
- Chapter 6. Constraints on Processing 115
- Chapter 7. Studying Receptive Grammar Acquisition within a PT Framework 139
- Chapter 8. Response Paper 169
-
Developments in Instructed Second Language Learning
- Chapter 9. PT meets CA 177
- Chapter 10. Instructing Stages of Processability Theory in L2 Spanish 205
- Chapter 11. Implications of the Developmental Stages of Language Acquisition for Classroom Teaching 239
- Chapter 12. Response Paper 263
- Index 271
