A Study Of The Acquisition Of Chinese Causative Structures Under The Framework Of Typology

Causatives are universal phenomenon in human languages.Typologically causatives are generally held to consist of three major types:analytic causative(wo rang ta ku le);morphological causative(kong jian fang zi gei wo);lexical causative (kill a man). There are no studies of the acquisition of Chinese Causative between different L1 students. This paper from the perspective of linguistic typology compared and analyzed the causative structure of English, Japanese, and Chinese, by analysis questionnaire survey, to investigate the differences performance between L1 English and L2 Japanese languageL2 Chinese learners and the influence of L1, try to explain the difference performance between L1-English and L1-Japanese L2 Chinese learners.Causative construction is composed of causative verbs which can be classified into four categories:causative light verbs, affixed causative verbs, converted causative verbs and compounding causative verbs. Morphological causative constructions and lexical causative constructions with converted causative verbs are typical in both English and Japanese. By contrast, analytical causative constructions and lexical causative constructions with compounding causative verbs are typical Chinese causative constructions.There is no analytical causative constructions in Japanese.The causative structure in English is NP1+VP1+NP2+VP2 and NP1+VP+NP2. The causative structure in Japanese is NP1?/?+NP2?+VP1+VP2 and NP1 ??+NP2?+NP3 ?+VP1+VP2.The causative structure in Chinese is NP1+VP1+NP2+VP2 and NP1+VP+NP2.The dissertation makes use of study achievements of many linguists such as Comrie (1989) and Dixon (2000). By investigating L1-English and L1-Japanese L2 Chinese learners'knowledge of causative constructions, explores whether the L1-English and L1-Japanese L2 Chinese learners can shift from the causative constructions formed with lexical devices in English and Japanese to the ones formed with syntactic devices, whether the acquisition of Chinese causative constructions is determined by syntax or semantics and the role of the first language in the acquisition of Chinese causative constructions. The difference between L1-English and L1-Japanese L2 Chinese learners can whether explain by linguistic typology.The results show that our participants have basically completed the shift from L1-English and L1-Japanese to L2 Chinese.To translate L1 into Chinese causative constructions, with the influence of the L1,there are different proformance between L1-English and L1-Japanese L2 Chinese learners. L1-English students translate lexical causative constructions and morphological causative especially with psychology causative verbs (like anger, frightened) into Chinese, with the negative transfer of L1 English, they can not use analytical causative constructions well. L1-japanese students translate Japanese causative constructions into Chinese, with the transfer of L1, they choose analytical causative constructions further than L1-English, they translate lexical causative constructions into Chinese, with the negative transfer of L1 Japanese, and they express some inaccuracy causative constructions.The difference between L1-English and L1-Japanese L2 Chinese learners can explain by linguistic typology.Finally, we discussed the difference between L1-English and L1-Japanese L2 Chinese learners' acquisition of Causative Structures under the framework of typology. We also discussed the teaching of the Chinese causative construction to L1-English and L1-Japanese L2 Chinese learners and the implications of the present study to L2 Chinese language teaching. We also point out the limitation of the present study and the direction of the future research.