ERIC Number: EJ686968
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Dec
Pages: 26
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0023-8333
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Topic and Subject Prominence in Interlanguage Development
Hyuk (Sarah) Jung, Euen
Language Learning, v54 n4 p713-738 Dec 2004
Most previous studies on topic prominence in second language (L2) acquisition have investigated interlanguage from the direction either of topic prominence to subject prominence or subject prominence to subject prominence. The role of topic/subject prominence typology in L2 acquisition cannot be fully explained until additional studies are conducted in the direction of subject prominence to topic prominence. The current study examined topic-prominent interlanguage of subject-prominent first language (L1) speakers. The results did not support the early universal stage of topic prominence in L2 acquisition but showed that learners transferred their subject-prominent L1 features in topic-prominent L2 learning. With increasing L2 proficiency, learners gradually became sensitive to the characteristics of the target language, approximating its norms.
Descriptors: Interlanguage, Language Patterns, Language Research, Second Language Learning, Language Proficiency
Journal Customer Services, Blackwell Publishing, 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148. Tel: 800-835-6770 (Toll Free); Fax: 781-388-8232; e-mail: subscrip@bos.blackwellpublishing.com.
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A