scholarly journals The Complexity of Zero Anaphora in Chinese Discourse: An Event-related Perspective

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Sun
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Method ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Discourse Structure ◽  
Zero Anaphora ◽  
Complex Cases

One zero anaphor (henceforth, ZA) in Chinese discourse is not necessarily identified with an antecedent which must be found somewhere as a syntactic constituent in a clause. Most studies claim that the referent of zero anaphor is either co-referential with the next ZA or completely different from the next ZA; however the view is not necessarily reliable. This study considers several types of complex cases where referents of ZA can be extracted from several syntactic positions or that never emerge in the context. The complexity of ZA referents thus far surpasses the explanations offered by the current theories, such as the topic chain, accessibility, or discourse structure. This study proposes two principles: co-referential topic and event integration to interpret what causes the complexity of ZA referents in Chinese discourse. Further, this study figures out a mathematical method (hypergraph) to simulate how Chinese native speakers process complex ZAs. This study therefore is significant to make a deeper understanding of the complexity of zero anaphora in Chinese and expand the vision of anaphora.

Zero Anaphora in Second Language Acquisition:A Comparison among Three Varieties of English

1988 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Williams
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Discourse Function ◽  
Spontaneous Production ◽  
Structural Differences ◽  
Zero Anaphora ◽  
The Relationship

This study examines the use of zero anaphora in the English production of three speaker groups: native speakers, second language learners, and speakers of a non-native institutionalized variety. General discourse function for zero anaphora is found to be similar across speaker groups, although in many cases, ungrammatical by prescriptive standards. In addition, there are important quantitative and structural differences between the native speakers and non-native speakers in how this device is used. The results suggest that the relationship between performance data and second language acquisition needs to be reexamined. In particular, it cannot be assumed that spontaneous production of a given form isa direct indicator of acquisition and conversely, that non-production is necessarily proof of non-acquisition.

scholarly journals Resistenza all’acquisizione della struttura del discorso e della gerarchizzazione sintattica in un corpus acquisizionale italo-russo

2016 ◽  
pp. 305-321
Author(s):  
Nataliya Stoyanova
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Discourse Structure ◽  
Language Norms ◽  
Original Acquisition

In this paper we present some statistics data regarding the preferential choices of native speakers of Russian and Italian and of Italian speakers of Russian with respect to the discourse structure and syntactic hierarchy. The research was conducted on the material of an original acquisition corpus, and has demonstrated that the discourse level is more resistant to the acquisition of the second language norms than the macrosyntactic level.

Cross-linguistic variation and the acquisition of pronominal reference in L2 Spanish

2011 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Jegerski ◽  
Bill VanPatten ◽  
Gregory D Keating
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Discourse Structure ◽  
Hybrid Strategy ◽  
Subject Pronouns ◽  
Intermediate Group ◽  
L2 Processing ◽  
Pronominal Reference ◽  
English Speaking ◽  
L2 Spanish ◽  
Discourse Interface

The current investigation tested two predictions regarding second language (L2) processing at the syntax—discourse interface: (1) that L2 performance on measures of interface phenomena can differ from that of native speakers; and (2) that cross-linguistic influence can be a source of such divergence. Specifically, we examined the offline interpretation of ambiguous subject pronouns with intrasentential antecedents in Spanish and English, including discourse—syntactic constraints that are active in pro-drop Spanish and principles of discourse structure that affect pronominal reference in English. Two participant groups of English-speaking learners of L2 Spanish — an intermediate group and an advanced group — failed to show categorically native-like differentiation between null and overt pronouns in Spanish. Both groups, however, did show marginal effects for Discourse Structure (coordination or subordination of clauses), an effect that was also present in their native English. Furthermore, there was a significant interaction with the advanced group between Pronoun and Discourse Structure, so this group seemed to employ to a certain degree a hybrid strategy. This outcome suggests that pre-existing referential strategy persists even at an advanced level of L2 proficiency and may be a primary barrier to native-like performance, even after target-like L2 principles are acquired and begin to apply.

Zero Anaphora in Nonnative Texts

1995 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-261
Author(s):  
Beverly S. Hartford
Keyword(s):  
Language Learners ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
The Other ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
Null Objects ◽  
Null Object ◽  
Zero Anaphora ◽  
Discourse Organization ◽  
Discourse Topic

This paper investigates the occurrence of null objects in a stable nonnative variety of English spoken in Nepal. Previous studies of zero anaphora with second language learners have assumed that advanced learners of English will acquire the native target norms, which highly constrain null object occurrences. This paper shows that in the construction of text speakers of Nepali English may omit both direct and indirect objects in contexts where native speakers may not. Pragmatic principles govern these occurrences although they differ for the two types of objects. Null direct objects are part of discourse topic chains and their referents are recoverable within the text, even across speakers. Null indirect objects, on the other hand, refer primarily to discourse participants and do not generally need textual coreferents. The resultant discourse organization for this variety of English is one that requires greater addressee participation than native English discourse. The paper shows that when learners are confronted with input from two typologically distinct discourse traditions they may develop a third framework that utilizes compatible features for each.

V1390: Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy: Technical Considerations and Pitfalls in Complex Cases

2007 ◽  
Vol 177 (4S) ◽  
pp. 458-458
Author(s):  
Erik P. Castle ◽  
Michael E. Woods ◽  
Raju Thomas ◽  
Rodney Davis
Keyword(s):  
Partial Nephrectomy ◽  
Laparoscopic Partial Nephrectomy ◽  
Technical Considerations ◽  
Complex Cases

Oral Approach Avoidance

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 355-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Godinho ◽  
Margarida V. Garrido ◽  
Oleksandr V. Horchak
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Writing System ◽  
Oral Movements ◽  
Motivational States ◽  
Oral Approach ◽  
Approach Avoidance ◽  
Abstract Words ◽  
European Family

Abstract. Words whose articulation resembles ingestion movements are preferred to words mimicking expectoration movements. This so-called in-out effect, suggesting that the oral movements caused by consonantal articulation automatically activate concordant motivational states, was already replicated in languages belonging to Germanic (e.g., German and English) and Italic (e.g., Portuguese) branches of the Indo-European family. However, it remains unknown whether such preference extends to the Indo-European branches whose writing system is based on the Cyrillic rather than Latin alphabet (e.g., Ukrainian), or whether it occurs in languages not belonging to the Indo-European family (e.g., Turkish). We replicated the in-out effect in two high-powered experiments ( N = 274), with Ukrainian and Turkish native speakers, further supporting an embodied explanation for this intriguing preference.

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