Language Transfer and Discourse Universals in Indian English Article Use  

Oleh:

Sharma, Devyani

Jenis: Article from Journal - ilmiah internasional
Dalam koleksi: Studies in Second Language Acquisition (sebagian Full Text & ada di PROQUEST Th.2001-) vol. 27 no. 4 (Dec. 2005), page 535-566.
Fulltext: out(7).pdf (281.14KB)

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Perpustakaan PKBB Nomor Panggil: 405/SSL/27 Non-tandon: tidak ada Tandon: 1

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Isi artikel

Stable nonnative varieties of English acquired and used in the absence of native English input can diverge systematically from native varieties over time (Cheshire, 1991; Kachru, 1983; Platt, Weber, & Ho, 1984). Focusing on Indian English article use, this study asks the following question: If divergence is indeed occurring, do new features derive primarily from first language (L 1) transfer or from universal principles? Natural conversational speech is assessed in relation to four hypotheses relating to L 1 transfer and language universals, and a multivariate regression analysis evaluates the relative strength of each factor. The new article system is not found to be identical to the L 1 article system. Although L 1 transfer appears to be operative when an overt form (the specific indefinite article) exists in the L 1, when a gap occurs in the L 1 (no definite article), speakers do not completely omit the definite article in their second language English. Using Prince's (1981) taxonomy of assumed familiarity, it is shown that the absence of a L 1 model for definite articles permits the intervention of universally available discourse knowledge, such that speakers apply an economical, disambiguating principle to the use of overt articles, reserving them mainly for new (less given or inferable) information and omitting them in more redundant contexts.

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