Chinese EFL Learners’ Acquisition Of English Restrictive Relative Clauses:a Study From The Perspective Of Feature Theory

The acquisition of restrictive relative clauses has been a frequently discussed topic in the field of second language acquisition. In the field of syntax, analyses concerning how relative clauses are generated are mainly operator movement analysis (Chomsky2000) and raising analysis (Bianchi1999,2000).Feature remains a core concept in the Minimalist Program (Chomsky2000). Put forward by Lardiere (2008,2009), feature reassembly is used to explain variability between languages and within a language. As to relative clauses, CP features may partially determine their syntax (Flynn2008). Based on feature theory and the important syntactic relationship between C and T (Pesetsky and Torrego2001), this study investigated the development of Chinese L2learners’acquisition of complex restrictive relative clauses (CR) and simple restrictive relative clauses (SR), the latter including subject relativization (SSR), direct object relativization (OSR) and relativization of object of preposition (OPSR).Adopting the instruments of GJT (Grammaticality Judgement Test) and TT (Translation Test), this study aims at examining the extent to which learners of different English proficiency levels have mastered the structure of English restrictive relative clause. A quantitative analysis shows that subjects’performance on Englsih restrictive relative clause improves as their proficiency level increases, and that they display a better performance on SRs than on CRs. Among SRs, the lowest accuracy rate falls on OPSR type on the whole, with the accuracy rate of SRC type almost equaled by that of ORC type. Overall, levels of acquisition extent are as follows: SSR^OSR>OPSR>CR. Results also show that subjects have a preference for wh-relativizers compared with "that", and for pied-piping rather than preposition stranding in producing OPSR. A close relationship is found between the complexity of feature assembly and learner’s performance. The multiple steps and distance of movement operation driven by feature checking should have a great influence on the acquisition of restrictive relative clause of various types. The more complex feature assembly is in the process of generating a type of relative clause, the more difficult it is for EFL learners to acquire it.