Hostname: page-component-89b8bd64d-sd5qd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-06T22:20:05.216Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

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
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

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.

Information

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

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

REFERENCES

Bardovi-Harlig, K., & Hartford, B. (1993). Refining the DCT: Comparing open questionnaires and dialogue completion tasks. In Bouton, L. & Kachru, Y. (Eds.), Pragmatics and language learning (Vol. 4, pp. 143–165). Urbana: Division of English as an International Language, University of Illinois.Google Scholar
Butterworth, G., & Hatch, E. (1978PA Spanish speaking adolescent's acquisition of English syntax.) In Hatch, E. (Ed.), Second language acquisition: A book of readings (pp. 231–245). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.Google Scholar
Chaudron, C, & Parker, K. (1990). Discourse markedness and structural markedness: The acquisition of English noun phrases. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 12, 43–64.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Felix, S. (1980). Interference, interlanguage and related issues. In Felix, S. (Ed.), Second language developments: Trends and issues (pp. 93–110). Tũbingen: Narr.Google Scholar
Givón, T. (1983). Topic continuity in spoken English. In Giúon, T. (Ed.), Topic continuity in discourse: A quantitative cross-language study (pp. 343–363). Amsterdam: Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gundel, J., Hedberg, N., & Zacharski, R. (1989). Giveness, implicature and demonstrative expressions in English discourse. In Music, B., Graczyk, R., & Wiltshire, C. (Eds.), Papers from the 25th Annual Regional Meeting of the Chicago Linguistic Society: Part Two. Parasession of Language in Context (pp. 89–103). Chicago: University of Chicago.Google Scholar
Gundel, J., Stenson, N., & Tarone, E. (1984). Acquiring pronouns in a second language: Evidence for hypothesis testing. Studiesin Second Language Acquisition, 6, 215–225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gundel, J., & Tarone, E. (1992). Language transfer and the acquisition of pronouns. In Gass, S. & Selinker, L. (Eds.), Language transfer and language learning (rev. ed., pp. 87–100). Amsterdam: Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hartford, B. (1989). Prototype effects in non-native English: Object-coding in verbs of saying. World Englishes, 8, 97–117.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hartford, B. (1993). Tense and aspect in the news discourse of Nepali English. World Englishes, 12, 1–13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hartford, B. (in press). The relationship of new Englishes and linguistic theory: A cognitive based grammar of Nepali English. In Baumgardner, R. (Ed.), South Asian English: Structure, use, and users. Urbana: University of Illinois Press.Google Scholar
Hartford, B., & Bardovi-Harlig, K. (1992). Experimental and observational data in the study of interlanguage pragmatics. In Bouton, L. & Kachru, Y. (Eds.), Pragmatics and language learning (Vol. 3, pp. 33–52). Urbana: Division of English as an International Language, University of Illinois.Google Scholar
Huang, C.-T.J. (1984). On the distribution and reference of empty pronouns. Linguistic Inquiry, 15, 531–574.Google Scholar
Huebner, T. (1985). System and variability in interlanguage syntax. Language Learning, 35, 141–163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Li, C, & Thompson, S. (1976). Subject and topic: A new typology for language. In Li, C. (Ed.), Subject and topic (pp. 457–489). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Li, C, & Thompson, S. (1979). Third person pronouns and zero-anaphora in Chinese discourse. In Givon, T (Ed.), Discourse and syntax (pp. 311–335). New York: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Prince, E. (1981). Toward a taxonomy of given-new information. In Cole, P. (Ed.), Radical pragmatics (pp. 223–255). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Register, N. (1990). Influences of typological parameters on L2 learners' judgments of null pronouns in English. Language Learning, 40, 369–385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ross, J. (1982, 12). Pronoun deleting processes in German. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America, San Diego, CA.Google Scholar
Schumann, J. (1984). Non-syntactic speech in Spanish-English basilang. In Andersen, R. (Ed.), Second languages: A cross-linguistic perspective (pp. 355–374). Rowley, Ma: Newbury House.Google Scholar
Tomlin, R. (1987). Linguistic reflections of cognitive events. In Tomlin, R.S. (Ed.), Coherence and grounding in discourse (pp. 455–479). Amsterdam: Benjamins.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tsao, F. (1977). A functional study of topic in Chinese: The first step towards discourse analysis. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.Google Scholar
White, L. (1985). The ‘pro-drop’ parameter in adult second language acquisition. Language Learning, 35, 47–61.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
William, J. (1989). Pronoun copies, pronominal anaphora and zero anaphora in second language production. In Gass, S., Madden, C., Preston, D., & Selinker, L. (Eds.), Variation in second language acquisition (pp. 153–189). Clevendon, UK: Multilingual matters.Google Scholar