Topic Prominence: Taiwanese EFL Learner's Interlanguage

由語言類型來看，中文常被視為是「主題顯著」的語言，而英文常被視為是「主詞顯著」的語言。本篇論文將從語言轉移的角度，探討台灣的英語學習者學習英文時的中介語言，包括是否有中文主題顯著的轉移現象以及是否有學習英文的主詞顯著結構困難。七十八位就讀台北縣某高職的學生參與此研究，他們因英文程度而分為高、中、低成就三組。實驗設計包括三種題型，文法判斷題、翻譯題及寫作題，研究重點在於四種主題顯著的結構，包括無主詞及無受詞句型、主題化的動詞片語及子句、連續動詞結構、雙主語結構，以及兩種主詞顯著的結構，包括主詞動詞一致、虛主詞結構。質化及量化的研究結果顯示，主題結構轉移到學習者的中介語言中，且學習者會有學習主詞結構的困難。當受試者的英文程度提升，主題結構的轉移會逐漸減少且伴隨著主詞結構的發展。皮爾森相關係數亦指出此兩種語言類型的發展在學習者的中介語言中有強烈的相關性。最後，我們發現測驗題型會影響實驗結果。在兩種控制型的題型中，文法判斷題難於翻譯題。寫作測驗不像其他測驗，會造成高、中、低三組表現的差異。不同的測驗題型會改變主題顯著結構的使用趨勢。With regard to language typology, Mandarin Chinese has been considered a topic-prominent language while English a subject-prominent language (Li & Thompson & Thomson 1976, Rutherford, 1983, et al.) The present study explored Taiwanese EFL learners’ interlanguage from the perspective of typological transfer; it investigated the influence of first language (L1) topic-prominence typology on the transfer effect and the acquisition of L2 subject-prominence. Seventy-eight vocational high school students in Taipei County participated in the experiment and were further divided into three proficiency groups. Three tasks used to measure learners’ L2 interlanguage were a grammaticality judgment task, a translation task, and a free writing task. The tasks were designed on structures where L1 and L2 contrast typologically including four topic-prominence properties: null subject and null object, topicalized verb phrase and clause, serial verb construction, double nominatives and two subject-prominence properties: subject-verb agreement and dummy subject. Both quantitative and qualitative results showed that topic-prominence has been transferred into learners’ interlanguage; also, learners were found to have difficulty acquiring subject-prominence properties. Besides, it was discovered that as learners’ proficiency increases, there is a gradual decrease of topic-prominence and a relative development of subject-prominence. Pearson Correlation Coefficients indicated that the two linguistic typologies exert a high degree of correlation in learners’ interlanguage development. Finally, methodological effect was found in that, of the two controlled tasks, comprehension task was harder than the production task. Free writing task did not lead a significant group difference as the other tasks did. Also, different task formats changed the trend of topic-prominence transfer