Pragmatic principles in anaphora resolution at the syntax-discourse interface
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Cristóbal Lozano
Abstract
Previous experimental research has shown that the syntax-discourse interface can be a locus of deficits for learners, even at very advanced levels. In this paper an L2 Spanish corpus is used to investigate Anaphora Resolution (AR) at the syntax-discourse interface (i.e., how null/overt pronouns and NP subjects refer to their antecedents in discourse). A fine-grained tagset was designed to annotate formal, pragmatic and information-status AR factors in a sample of very advanced L1 English – L2 Spanish learners vs. a Spanish native control subcorpus from the CEDEL2 corpus. The corpus analysis results reveal that, though very advanced learners can attain similar patterns to Spanish natives with AR, they show certain deficits: they are pragmatically more redundant than ambiguous. This is explained in terms of a new proposal: the Pragmatic Principles Violation Hypothesis. Results also show that the syntax of topic shift is more complex than previously assumed, with higher rates of NPs than overt pronouns. This can be accounted for by the nature of the antecedent (number of potential antecedents and their gender differences).
Abstract
Previous experimental research has shown that the syntax-discourse interface can be a locus of deficits for learners, even at very advanced levels. In this paper an L2 Spanish corpus is used to investigate Anaphora Resolution (AR) at the syntax-discourse interface (i.e., how null/overt pronouns and NP subjects refer to their antecedents in discourse). A fine-grained tagset was designed to annotate formal, pragmatic and information-status AR factors in a sample of very advanced L1 English – L2 Spanish learners vs. a Spanish native control subcorpus from the CEDEL2 corpus. The corpus analysis results reveal that, though very advanced learners can attain similar patterns to Spanish natives with AR, they show certain deficits: they are pragmatically more redundant than ambiguous. This is explained in terms of a new proposal: the Pragmatic Principles Violation Hypothesis. Results also show that the syntax of topic shift is more complex than previously assumed, with higher rates of NPs than overt pronouns. This can be accounted for by the nature of the antecedent (number of potential antecedents and their gender differences).
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
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Section 1. Introduction
- Spanish learner corpus research 3
- What is missing in learner corpus design? 33
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Section 2. Compilation, annotation and exploitation of learner corpus data
- Learner Spanish on computer 55
- PoS-tagging a Spanish oral learner corpus 89
- The LANGSNAP longitudinal learner corpus 117
- The Aprescrilov corpus, or broadening the horizon of Spanish language learning in Flanders 143
- Spanish Corpus Proficiency Level Training Website and Corpus 169
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Section 3. Analysis of learner corpus data
- Factors that can have an impact on the processes of perceiving Spanish/L2 199
- Pragmatic principles in anaphora resolution at the syntax-discourse interface 235
- Discourse markers in CEDEL2 and SPLLOC corpora of learner Spanish 267
- A corpus study of Spanish as a Foreign Language learners’ collocation production 299
- Index 333
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
-
Section 1. Introduction
- Spanish learner corpus research 3
- What is missing in learner corpus design? 33
-
Section 2. Compilation, annotation and exploitation of learner corpus data
- Learner Spanish on computer 55
- PoS-tagging a Spanish oral learner corpus 89
- The LANGSNAP longitudinal learner corpus 117
- The Aprescrilov corpus, or broadening the horizon of Spanish language learning in Flanders 143
- Spanish Corpus Proficiency Level Training Website and Corpus 169
-
Section 3. Analysis of learner corpus data
- Factors that can have an impact on the processes of perceiving Spanish/L2 199
- Pragmatic principles in anaphora resolution at the syntax-discourse interface 235
- Discourse markers in CEDEL2 and SPLLOC corpora of learner Spanish 267
- A corpus study of Spanish as a Foreign Language learners’ collocation production 299
- Index 333
