چکیده:
This study set out to investigate the distribution of the syntactic properties associatedwith the prodrop parameter by Persian-speaking L2 learners of English in an attemptto examine the (un)attainability of native-like knowledge and (in)accessibility of UGin adult SLA. To do so, 92 participants were assigned into different levels of L2knowledge based on their performances on the Oxford Placement Test (2001). Agrammaticality judgment test and a translation test were developed and validated inthis study. Analysis of the results indicated the following hierarchy of difficulty:referential subjects > expletives > verb-subject constraint > quasi subjects > thattraceconstraint. Findings evidence that native-like attainment of unselected L2syntactic features is unlikely at advanced stages, but it is logically possible thatPersian-speaking L2 learners of English attain native-like knowledge of [-prodrop]at very advanced or near-native stages of L2 acquisition.
خلاصه ماشینی:
com Received: 16/12/2013 Accepted: 08/02/2014 Abstract This study set out to investigate the distribution of the syntactic properties associatedwith the prodrop parameter by Persian-speaking L2 learners of English in an attempt to examine the (un)attainability of native-like knowledge and (in)accessibility of UG in adult SLA.
Among the recognized parameters, the prodrop has always been in the limelight of and an intensively studied area in SLA research carried out within this model of language acquisition (Alibabaee, Youhanaee, & Tavakoli, 2012; Ayoun, 2000; Belletti, Bennati & Sorace, 2007; Boe, 1996; Khalili Sabet, 2006; Liceras, 1989, 1999; Phinney, 1987; Platt, 1993; White, 1985).
Moreover, those studies addressing developmental accounts suffer from a number of methodological problems such as recruiting small numbers of participants (Hilles, 1986; Tsimpli & Roussou, 1991), including only one or two stages of language development (Belletti, Bennati, & Sorace, 2007; Gurel, 2006; Isabelli, 2004; Phinney, 1987; Rothman & Iverson, 2007; Tsimpli & Roussou, 1991), employing nonstandard methods in assigning the participants into different stages of L2 acquisition (Jalilifar & Shooshtari, 2009; Tsimpli & Roussou, 1991), including one or two recognized types of subject pronouns, failing to differentiate between quasi-argument and expletive subjects (Ayoun, 2000; Belletti, et al.
As far as the participants’ performance on obligatory referential subjects in the GJT items was concerned, the results of the post-hoc Tamhane’s T2 test showed that the difference between the advanced and native groups was the only one not being statistically significant (F = 1.