Re-exploration Of Unlearning Of Null Objects By Chinese Speaking L2-english Learners

Given different language styles and appropriate environments, null objects areallowed in some languages like Chinese, but not in others like English. In SLAliterature, the phenomenon of null object unlearning has aroused increasing attention.Previous SLA researches concerning this phenomenon were focused on two points:the relationship between L2proficiency and the extent of unlearning null objects, andwhether syntactic positions, i.e. matrix position and embedded position, influence theperformance in unlearning null objects.In addition to the test of previous findings, we aim to find out more truth aboutthe unlearning of null objects from two new perspectives, namely, topicalization andzero anaphora. To answer the research questions, we conducted a native-likenessjudgment test among118(108solid) L1-Chinese L2-English learners at three Englishproficiency levels and9(8solid) native English speakers. The data of our experimentwere processed and analyzed by SPSS.16.Different from most of previous researches, our study supports Wang&Yu (2012)from two perspectives. Firstly, although the lower proficiency L2English learnershave difficulty in detecting ungrammaticality of null objects, the advanced learners(senior postgraduates majoring in linguistics) can unlearn null objects in L2acquisition. Secondly, Chinese learners of L2English unlearn matrix null objectsmuch easier than embedded null objects. We explain the results concerning therelationship between the proficiency level and the performance in unlearning nullobjects in light of Interface Hypothesis and Transfer theory. We consider thatunlearning null object is an issue that requires syntactic and discourse knowledge andonly advanced learners can reset parameters of discourse features of L2. Besides,explicit instruction on the license of null elements in advanced L2classroompromotes advanced learners to unlearn null objects while lack of negative evidenceand L1transfer hinders the lower proficiency learners from unlearning null objects inL2acquisition. What is more, in contrast with embedded null objects, salient positionof matrix null objects brings about cognitive prominence to L2learners.Moreover, this thesis makes endeavors to find out more truth about theunlearning of null objects from several new angles, such as topicalization and zeroanaphora. The experimental results suggest that topicalization through zero anaphora in a sentence cluster can facilitate the awareness of the illegality of null objects foradvanced learners while the lower proficiency learners were inclined to accept nullobjects in longer topicalized sentence clusters to a greater extent. We give tentativeexplanations for the results that L2learners of lower proficiency are moremeaning-focused, whose efforts to grasp the meaning of longer topicalized sentenceclusters i.e. topic chains, can be facilitated by the richer discourse informationprovided by these sentences, resulting in certain grammatical negligence, such as toanaphor dropping; meanwhile, more frequent encounters of null objects make theungrammaticality of this phenomenon more prominent to advanced L2learners, whoare more form-focused.Besides, we find transfer of null objects in L1Chinese is actually a matter oftransfer of null anaphors and that unlearning of null objects is actually a matter ofunlearning null anaphors. We explain this from two perspectives: firstly, a null objectwithout any antecedent (i.e. non null-anaphor) blocks understanding either in ourinformants' L1or L2, thus these L2learners are more apt to reject this kind of nullobject. On the contrary, L2learners can understand well the sentences with nullobjects with an antecedent (i.e. null anaphor); secondly, since both Chinese andEnglish forbid null objects without any antecedent, no negative L1transfer happenswhen Chinese speaking learners of English reject such “genuine” null objects.By exploring more truth about the unlearning of null objects by Chinese Englishlearners, this thesis, on one hand, reveals more about the state of L2interlanguage. Onthe other hand, it can provide implications for English teaching and learning such asthe necessity of explicit emphasis in the illegality of zero anaphora in English, andaccordingly promotes second language acquisition.