Interpretation of binding and orientation of the Chinese reflexive ziji by English and Japanese speakers

Abstract

This article reports on an empirical study of the interpretation of the Chinese reflexive ziji by English and Japanese speakers. In English, reflexives can only take a local (LOC) antecedent, whereas the Chinese reflexive ziji and the Japanese reflexive zibun can have a long-distance (LD) antecedent as well as a local one. Another property of the long-distance reflexives is subject orientation. However, reflexives in English allow both subject NPs and object NPs as their antecedents. The results of the study suggest that L1 transfer occurs in second language acquisition (SLA) of the Chinese reflexive ziji. However, not everything can be explained by L1 interference. It is found that: it is much easier for Japanese speakers than for English speakers to acquire the LD binding of ziji; binding of ziji is asymmetric in finite and nonfinite clauses in English speakers' L2 grammars of Chinese; acquiring subject orientation of ziji is problematic to both English and Japanese speakers, and no implicational relationship is found between LD binding of ziji and subject orientation of ziji; LD binding of ziji entails LOC binding of ziji, and it also generally entails no LD object binding. Implications of these findings are discussed.