The current study set out to investigate the null pronouns phenomenon by Taiwanese EFL learners through three tasks: grammaticality judgment task, paragraph translation task, and storytelling task. The main framework of this research is generative theory of Universal Grammar, incorporating insights from discourse and typology, in order to explore the L2 acquisition of [-null subjects] language by [+null subjects] language. The main findings are summarized as follows:
1. Chinese topic constructions seem to influence profoundly on the L2A of English by EFL learners. This may imply that L2 learners acquire the L2 through L1-based knowledge.
2. The asymmetry of null subjects and null objects was found in our data across the three tasks, which suggests EFL learners treated both features differently and have difficulty in unlearning null objects. We support Kong’s (2005) claim that Chinese learners are influenced by L1 topic structure but they adjust this rule to:
every sentence must have an overt topic in the sentence-initial position.
3. The different judgments between matrix and embedded clauses with null subjects and null expletives may infer EFL learners do not intrinsically reset the parameter of null subjects.
4. According to our results in ST task, there seems to be several patterns which make null subjects and null objects easier to occur, such as structures with coordinate relationship or clear reference relationship. These sentence patterns prove that the EFL learners are still easier to be influenced by the discourse-oriented feature in Chinese.
According to the brief summary above, we may infer that the position of Partial
Access to UG probably the best answer to our research questions since it is assumed that through Partial Access to UG, L2 learners will not be able to acquire the L2 values of the pro-drop parameter when it differs from the L1, that is, UG is accessible but only via the setting of the L1. In our study, we found much evidence about the L1 effects on EFL learners’ performance, which suggests that the CIL is not identical to English and thus the parameter resetting of pro-drop can not take place.
So far, the thesis has explored a number of issues related to pro-drop phenomenon; however, despite of the fact that we have tried to cover the insufficiency of previous studies, there are still some drawbacks concerning the methodology.
Firstly, the participants in this study were restricted to students at National Sun Yat-sen University and were divided two proficiency levels by Subject Aptitude Test in Taiwan. Further research may include greater range of different stages and different ages of participants. Besides, more international or well-established grouping criterion needs to be adopted to avoid reliability problems of the test results.
Secondly, the two experiments examined in this study were not designed systematically since the purpose of the second experiment did not deal with pro-drop issues, which may cause some uncontrollable data problems.
Thirdly, some experimental sentences were problematic and colloquial in English, which lead to unexpected results. Besides, the quantity of the sentences can be expanded to increase the diversity of contexts.
Finally, more other tasks can be included to compare their difference. Particularly, natural occurring data has never been adopted in this issue of adult SLA, which needs more exploration.
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APPENDIX A
（2）*Peter drinked the entire bottle of wine.
不像（1），（2）的動詞變化 drinked 如果在您使用英文的任何情況下都
APPENDIX B 親愛的同學您好：
非常感謝您撥空回答這份問卷。這個問卷的目的是為了瞭解第二語言學習的現象，您填寫的資料，只 會使用在學術研究上，絕對不會外流。如果您有任何疑問，請和我聯絡：
[email protected] (外文所 謝雅莉 Kerry)
姓名: 學校: 學號：
系級： 系/碩/博 年級：__________________ 性別：□男 □女
年齡：□ 16~19 □ 20~23 □ 24~27 □ 28~31 □ 32~35 聯絡電話：
E-mail：
--- 1. 是否曾經去過英語系國家？□沒有 □有，去過 (國家)；待了多久?
請問原因：□留學 □暑期遊學 □移民 □其他：
2. 請將下列你會說的語言，依學習的先後順序標明 1,2,3…
□國語 □台語 □客語 □英語 □其他:
3. 請問你從何時開始學英文：□幼稚園 □國小 □國中 4. 請問你在家跟父母說英文嗎？□是 □否
5. 請問你學英文的時間大約有幾年：____________ 年
6. 請問你學習英文的動機？ □課業 □留學 □求職 □其它：
7. 請問你有外國朋友嗎？ □有 □沒有
8. 請問你接觸英文的方式有哪些？並請勾選每天接觸的時間有多少？
□ 學校課程： □1 小時以下 □1~3 小時 □4~6 小時 □7 小時以上
□ 電視、電影： □1 小時以下 □1~3 小時 □4~6 小時 □7 小時以上
名稱：
□ 廣播、CD： □1 小時以下 □1~3 小時 □4~6 小時 □7 小時以上
名稱：
□ 報紙、雜誌： □1 小時以下 □1~3 小時 □4~6 小時 □7 小時以上
名稱：
□ 英美人士： □常常交談 □僅書信連絡 □不常聯絡
□ 其它方式：
9. 大學入學英文成績？ 學測英文級分：____________級分 大學指考英文分數：____________分
10. 其他英文相關檢定名稱及成績：(1)_________________________ ; (2) ________________________
下列英文句子，請指出您是否（非常同意非常同意非常同意/同意非常同意 同意同意同意/不確定不確定不確定/不同意不確定不同意不同意不同意/非常不同意非常不同意非常不同意非常不同意）
若(非常非常非常)不同意非常不同意不同意不同意，請在圈選數字後，直接在句子上圈選圈選圈選圈選或標示標示標示可能標示可能可能錯誤可能錯誤錯誤的地方：錯誤
若(非常非常非常)不同意非常不同意不同意不同意，請在圈選數字後，直接在句子上圈選圈選圈選圈選或標示標示標示可能標示可能可能錯誤可能錯誤錯誤的地方：錯誤