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Effects of Instruction on Second Language Acquisition of the Japanese Long-Distance Reflexive Zibun

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2016

Lydia White ,
Makiko Hirakawa  and
Takako Kawasaki
Lydia White
Affiliation:
McGill University
Makiko Hirakawa
Affiliation:
McGill University
Takako Kawasaki
Affiliation:
McGill University
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Abstract

This article reports on a small study investigating whether teaching second language learners the long-distance (LD) properties of the Japanese reflexive zibun ‘self leads to acquisition of its subject-oriented status. The study involved low intermediate level learners of Japanese who were instructed on zibun over a four-week period. The focus of the instruction was that the reflexive zibun can take long-distance antecedents. At the same time, subjects were never taught that the antecedent must be a subject. Subjects were tested using a truth-value judgment task. Results show that the learners initially rejected LD binding; they showed a significant increase in acceptance of LD antecedents after the teaching intervention. Analyses of individual learners show that about half of them successfully acquired the relevant properties of zibun. With one exception, learners did not generalize from their instruction to assume that “anything goes” as far as antecedents for zibun are concerned. Rather, they acquired grammars of reflexive binding that fall within the range permitted by Universal Grammar.

Résumé

Résumé

Cet article cherche à déterminer si, en apprentissage d’une langue seconde, l’enseignement des propriétés de liage à longue distance du pronom réfléchi japonais zibun ‘soi-même’ conduit à l’acquisition de son statut de pronom orienté vers le sujet. L’étude rapportée ici implique des apprenants du japonais langue seconde de niveau intermédiaire inférieur ayant reçu un enseignement sur zibun pendant quatre semaines. Cet enseignement portait sur la possibilité d’avoir des antécédents à longue distance. Les participants n’ont jamais appris que l’antécédent doit être un sujet. Les résultats d’un test de jugements de vérité montrent que les apprenants commencent par rejeter le liage à longue distance; après la période d’enseignement, le taux d’acceptation de ce type de liage augmente de manière significative. L’analyse des résultats individuels montre que la moitié des participants ont réussi à acquérir les propriétés pertinentes de zibun. À une exception près, les apprenants se sont gardés de généraliser à partir de l’enseignement reçu et donc de considérer que zibun peut prendre n’importe quel type d’antécédent. Ils ont plutôt acquis des grammaires sur le liage des réfléchis qui appartiennent à la gamme permise par la Grammaire Universelle.

Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal of Linguistics/Revue canadienne de linguistique , Volume 41 , Issue 3 , September 1996 , pp. 235 - 254
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Linguistic Association 1996

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