Is Chinese ‘daodi’ ‘the hell’ in English speakers’ L2 acquisition of Chinesedaodi…wh… questions? Effects and recoverability of L1 transfer at L2 interfaces

Abstract

This article presents a study investigating the effects and recoverability of L1 transfer at L2 syntax–semantics and syntax–discourse interfaces in English speakers’ L2 acquisition of Chinese daodi … wh-questions, which are considered approximate counterparts of wh-the-hell questions in English. English speakers are found to be able to acquire syntactic properties of daodi … wh-questions, but the syntactic structure of the question in their L2 Chinese is influenced by their L1 semantic and discourse constraints. Removing the L1 influences is found possible in some aspects, but recovering from the L1 transfer is persistently vulnerable at the syntax–discourse interface involving appropriate answers to Chinese daodi … wh … modal questions, where the L1 and the Chinese discourse conditions are found coexistent in their L2 Chinese. The developmental data of the L2 interfaces are discussed, and it is argued that the availability of positive evidence in the input plays an important role in L2 acquisition of interfaces, as in L2 acquisition of other linguistic aspects.