Theoretical Frameworks and Related Studies

Abstract

AbstractThe Interface Hypothesis advanced by Sorace and Filiaci (2006) assumes that language structures involving an interface between syntax and other cognitive domains are less likely to be acquired completely than structures that do not involve this interface. There have been abundant studies on the role of interfaces in L2 acquisition research, yielding contradictory results on interface vulnerability and the underlying variables. The Feature Reassembly Hypothesis proposed by Lardirere (2008) holds that L2 learners’ task is to figure out the distinct configuration of features in the target language and reassemble the feature set of L2 by adding or deleting relevant features based on L2 input. The findings from existing studies confirm that such a feature-based model could capture L2 development more specifically and predict the possible difficulty in L2 acquisition. The present study will provide more evidence for L2 acquisition at multiple interfaces and the reassembly of features in the case of Chinese negation. In addition, the study aims to examine the representation of explicit and implicit knowledge in the L2 grammar of Chinese negation.