The Influence of Mother Tongue on the Use of English Resumptive Pronouns by Iranian EFLLs

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, English Language Department, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Iran.

3 Assistant Professor. Department of Translation Studies, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Iran.

4 MA Graduated in Linguistics, Department of Linguistics, Vali-e-Asr University of Rafsanjan, Iran.

Abstract

Understanding and producing relative clauses (RCs) presents significant challenges for second language learners, particularly when L1 and L2 relativization strategies differ. This study investigated the effect of Persian (L1) on resumptive pronoun (RP) usage in English RCs by Iranian EFL learners (N = 90 English Literature and Translation Studies majors), examining the Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy Hypothesis (NPAHH). The study had two primary objectives. First, we hypothesized that lower-proficiency learners would demonstrate more negative transfer. Participants were categorized into high- and low-proficiency groups using the Oxford Placement Test. Results revealed significant between-group performance differences, though error patterns based on the RC head's grammatical function were similar across groups. Both groups showed highest accuracy for object-function RCs, suggesting strong L1 influence. Second, testing the NPAHH revealed that learners (regardless of proficiency) exhibited lowest error rates for object-position RCs, followed by subject, complement, and genitive positions. This pattern partially aligns with but does not exactly match the NPAHH's predicted difficulty hierarchy (subject > object > complement > genitive). The findings highlight how L1 transfer interacts with universal accessibility constraints in RC acquisition.

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Main Subjects

References

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