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Zero Anaphora in Nonnative Texts

Null-Object Anaphora in Nepali English

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 November 2008

Beverly S. Hartford
Beverly S. Hartford
Affiliation:
Indiana University
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Abstract

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.

Type
Articles
Information
Studies in Second Language Acquisition , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , June 1995 , pp. 245 - 261
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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