A Usage-Based Approach To The Acquisition Of Preposition Placement In English Relative Clauses By Chinese EFL Learners

The English relative clause is a key and difficult point in second language(L2)learning,as well as the focus of second language acquisition research.As a part of relative clause learning,preposition stranding(PS)and preposition piped-piping(PiP)have been an obstacle for L2 learners,leading to the emergence of the null-preposition(null-prep)phenomenon.Recently,based on the development of cognitive linguistics,Tomasello(2003)proposed a usage-based approach to language acquisition.The usage-based view of language acquisition holds that language acquisition comes from language use,and the experience of language use determines the accumulation of language knowledge.However,few studies have considered preposition placement acquisition from the perspective of a usage-based approach(UBA).Therefore,this study aims to explore the acquisition order of preposition placement in English relative clauses by Chinese EFL learners from a usage-based perspective,so as to verify the feasibility of this theory and provide a reasonable explanation for the acquisition of English preposition placement.To be specific,this study aims to answer three questions:(1)Are there any differences in the comprehension of PS and PiP in relative clauses by Chinese EFL learners at three proficiency levels?If yes,how do they differ in terms of the emergence of PS and PiP constructions?(2)Are there any differences in the production of PS and PiP in relative clauses by Chinese EFL learners at three proficiency levels?If yes,how do they differ in terms of the emergence of PS and PiP constructions?(3)Do Chinese EFL learners produce null-prep in acquiring PS and PiP constructions?If so,why?The present study tested Chinese EFL learners at three proficiency levels:elementary(n=40),intermediate(n=58),and advanced(n=34).The L2 learners at the three levels completed a Grammaticality Acceptability Judgment Test and a Sentence Combination Test.The results showed:(1)There was a significant difference in the use of PS and PiP constructions among the three proficiency levels in both experiments.(2)PS constructions were acquired before PiP constructions and the production of PiP gradually increased with the increasing proficiency.The research results were greatly consistent with the prediction of the usage-based approach.(3)The null-prep did occur in the interlanguage of L2 learners across the three levels.And as the proficiency level increased,there was a gradual decrease in the appearance of null-prep as PS and PiP are acquired.These findings were discussed in light of the usage-based model and construction grammar pointing to the type frequency,processing factors and entrenchment.