3.Universal-Grammar-in-Second-Language-Acquisition

UniversalGrammarinSecondLanguageAcquisitionContents1.Introduction1.1DefinitionofUniversalGrammar1.2Principle-ParametermodelofUniversalGrammar2.TheaccessibilityofUniversalGrammartoSecondLanguageAcquisition2.1.IndirectaccessibilityofUGtoSLA2.2DirectaccessibilityofUGtoSLA2.3InaccessibilityofUGtoSLA3.TheproblemoftheapplicationofUGinSLA4.Conclusion1.Introduction1.1DefinitionofUniversalGrammarChomskythoughtthatUniversalGrammar(UG)isaspecialdeviceofhumanbrainwhichcanhelppeoplelearnlanguagequickly.Itisanunconsciousandpotentialknowledgewhichexistsinhumanbrainwithoutlearninganddeterminestheexistingappearanceofhumanlanguage.Justbecauseofthisspecialdevice,themoststupidpersoncantalkwhilethesmartestmonkeycannotspeak.1.2Principle-ParametermodelofUGThebasicconceptofUGareprinciples(原则)andparameters(参数).Theyrevealthecommonalitiesanddifferencesbetweennaturallanguagesrespectively.1.2.1Principles(原则)Principlesrefertotheabstractlygrammaticalproperty(抽象语法属性)whichcanbeappliedtoallhumanlanguage.Acertainlanguagemaynothavesomeprinciples.Butthereisnolanguagecanviolatetheseprinciple.1.2.2ParametersParametersreflectthedifferencesbetweendifferentlanguages.PG=α·UGPG:particulargrammarα:parameterseg.Pro-dropparameter(代词脱落参数)consistsoftwokindsofparametersettings(参数设定).Oneispro-drop(可代词脱落)andanotheroneisnon-pro-drop(非代词脱落).Whethertoallowpro-dropornullsubject(零主语)isasignoflanguagedifference.Englishisanon-pro-droplanguagewhileChineseisapro-droplanguage.Itisraining.下雨了。Fromthisexample,wecanseethatpro-dropparametermarksadifferencebetweenEnglishandChinese.2.TheaccessibilityofUGtoSLA2.1.IndirectaccessibilityofUGtoSLAIndirectaccessibilityhypothesis(间接可及假说)assumesthatUGworksinSLAthroughthegrammarofmothertongue.Whentheparametersettingofsecondlanguageisdifferentfromthatoffirstlanguage,thesecondlearnercannotusetheparameterwhichhasbeenlostinUG.Theycanonlyresettheparameterofmothertonguegrammar2.2DirectaccessibilityofUGtoSLADirectaccessibilityhypothesis(直接可及假说)assumesthatprocessofFLAandthatofSLAistotallythesame.PeoplelearnbothfirstlanguageandsecondlanguagebysettingparameterstoUG.SoifUGcanbeusedinFLA,itmustcanbeappliedinSLA.SecondlanguagelearnermakesfulluseofUGincludingthepartwhichisnotreflectedinhismothertongue.Thelearner’sgrammarofsecondlanguageisdeterminedbyUGcompletely.2.3InaccessibilityofUGtoSLAInaccessibilityhypothesis(完全不可及假说)deniesalltheinfluenceofUGonSLA.ItassumesthattheparametersofUGhavebeensetintheprocessofFLA.Theycannotbereset.Theassignmentofsecondlanguagelearnerisfinishedbyhispsychologicaldeviceandcognitivestrategies.ItmeansthatonlyfirstlanguagelearnercanuseUG.普遍语法其他心理机制直接可及不可及间接可及第一语言第二语言3.TheproblemoftheapplicationofUGinSLAThebiggestproblemoftheapplicationofUGinSLAisthatChomsky’stheoryofUGwasproposedinresponseto“thelogicalproblemofFLA”.TherearesomesignificantdifferencesbetweenFLAandSLA.⑴TheprocessofFLAisnaturalandunconscious,butthatofSLAisconscious.⑵Cognitiveabilityofchildrenisstillintheimmaturestagewhilethatofadultisalreadymature.⑶TheenvironmentofFLAandthatofSLAaredifferent.⑷Theinputmodesaredifferent.Childrengetfirstlanguageinputthroughspokenlanguage.Adultsgetsecondlanguageinputthroughspokenlanguage,writtenlanguageaswellasnotation.⑸IntheprocessofFLA,thereisnointerferencefromotherlanguage.ButintheprocessofSLA,learnerusesmothertongueconstantly.Mothertongueandsecondlanguagewillinteracteachothersomehow.4.ConclusionUGwasproposedinresponseto“thelogicalproblemofFLA”andtherearekindsofprobleminitsapplicationinSLA,butitdoeshaveinfluenceonSLAtosomeextent.TheefficiencyaswellasthestateofFLAaremuchmorebetterthanthoseofSLA.AllthedifferencesbetweenFLAandSLAleadtothedifferentinfluencesofUGonFLAandSLA.i.e.UGworksinFLAdirectly,butitworksinSLAthroughfirstlanguage.So,mostpeopleagreewiththeindirectaccessibilityhypothesis.