【作者】 王保昌；

【导师】 李荣宝；

【作者基本信息】 福建师范大学 ， 英语语言文学， 2014， 博士

【摘要】 在语言认知研究领域,有一种被普遍接受的观点,即元语言意识(也叫元语言能力,主要包括语音意识、词汇意识和句法意识)是一种对于具体语言知识进行有意识判断和操作的能力。它是抽象的、超语言的,也是个体语言能力的最重要标志。因而,当讨论双语者的语言能力时,人们普遍认为,一种语言的语音能力、词汇能力或句法能力是可以相互迁移的,即个体在一种语言中所具有的能力,一定能够在另一种语言中体现出来。然而,当我们将作为元语言意识一个部分的句法意识置于双语视野中时,一个显而易见的问题就出现了：句法意识是怎样从具体的语言能力经过抽象过程成为一种具有语言普遍性的能力的呢?或者更具体地说,两种语言的具体句法能力中,哪些是可以被抽象成具有语言普遍性的、超语言的能力,并且迁移到另一种语言呢?这就是本研究试图回答的问题。诚然,在语音意识和词汇意识的研究中,绝大部分的结论都认为,双语者在这些维度上的元语言能力是具有语言普遍性的,是可以相互迁移的。但是,我们应当认识到,语音和词汇能力在语言能力结构中属于更加基础的能力,如音首一韵脚的控制能力、音节的操控能力、词汇的任意指代能力、词素结构能力等等,它们几乎存在于所有语言,至少迄今研究所涉及的语言之中,即它们都是语言使用者普遍具有的能力。而句法意识则有其不同之处,因为,许多语言之间,由于类型学的差异,各种语言具体句法结构的差异也是显著的。这样,个体对相关语言的操控能力也就有所不同。因而,当我们承认句法意识作为一种抽象能力存在于双语者的语言共性能力之中的同时,也应当关注那些不具有语言共性的能力,以及那些从具体到抽象发展过程中具有不同速度和不同模式的共性能力。只有解决了这样的问题,才能真正揭示双语者句法意识迁移的本质和机制。本研究以高中一年级到大学一年级的在校学生为被试,对汉-英双语者句法意识迁移的动态过程进行了研究。这几个年级的学生已经具备了基础英语水平,又处在发展之中,符合我们的研究需要。研究首先通过句法测试,对500多名被试的汉、英句法意识进行因素提取,即确定汉、英句法能力是由哪些成分构成的。之后,通过这些成分观察汉、英句法能力的共性和个性。接着,以这些成分为依据,分别对200多名被试的汉、英句法意识水平进行测量,并且通过测量观察两种语言句法能力成分之间的关系,从而判断其迁移的效率及其在年级间的动态变化模式。最后,在确定句法能力可迁移成分的基础上,观测这种迁移对跨语言具体能力—阅读能力(这是被普遍认同的一种具体语言能力)的作用,从而完整地考察了双语者的句法意识如何从具体的句法操作能力抽象到具有语言普遍性的能力并且作用于跨语言的具体能力。实验结果显示：1)汉-英双语者的具体句法能力并非都能在语言教学和使用过程中抽象为具有语言普遍性的句法意识,有些句法能力是带有明显语言特异性的,它不可能成为真正意义上的元语言能力,因而,也是不可迁移的；2)在语言学习和使用的不同阶段,句法意识不同成分的迁移强度是不相同的,迁移是动态变化的；3对于可迁移的句法意识而言,其对跨语言具体能力的作用是显著的,但是,这种作用与相关语言的水平具有密切关系,即语言水平越高,句法意识的跨语言作用越显著。本研究的结果能够使我们进一步理解元语言意识“抽象性”的本质,即元语言意识来源于具体的语言使用能力并且超越具体语言的使用能力。只有超越了具体语言使用能力的语言普遍性能力,才具有语言间相互迁移的可能。更多还原

【Abstract】 A universally accepted view in the field of language cognition is that metalinguistic awareness (also named metalinguistic ability, mainly including phonological awareness, word awareness and syntactic awareness) is the ability to make judgment about and to manipulate specific linguistic knowledge. It is abstract, super-linguistic, and a significant indicator of linguistic ability of individuals. In this sense, when exploring linguistic ability of bilinguals, people generally believe that phonological ability, word ability and syntactic ability are transferable across languages. In other words, a bilingual’s metalinguistic ability in one language is surely to be embodied in the other.However, when syntactic awareness, one of the components of metalinguistic ability, is laid out against the background of bilingualism, a question will become prominent: How does syntactic awareness arise from language-specific abilities to be language-general abilities through the process of abstraction? Or more specifically, which of the abilities in two languages can be abstracted into general super-linguistic abilities and can transfer across languages? And this is the very question the present research intends to answer.Indeed, most studies about phonological awareness and word awareness reached the conclusion that the abilities in these dimensions of bilinguals are language-general and transferable across languages. Nonetheless, one thing should be kept in mind that phonological and word abilities are more fundamental in the construct of language ability. The abilities to manipulate onset-rhymes and syllables, to understand the arbitrary nature of the relation between words and their meanings, and to analyze the structures of words and morphemes, all these abilities exist in almost all languages, at least in all the languages involved in research up to now. That means these abilities universally exist in all language users. However, syntactic awareness is different from them. Many languages are unique in specific syntactic structures due to their typological diversities, which may demand varied syntactic skills. This suggests that on the one hand we should acknowledge syntactic awareness, as an abstract ability, exists among the language-general abilities of bilinguals; on the other hand we should not ignore those language-specific abilities as well as those language-general abilities with different developing rates and patterns during the process of abstraction. Only in this way can we reveal the true nature and mechanism of syntactic awareness transfer in bilinguals.This research examined the dynamic process of Chinese-English syntactic awareness transfer in students from senior high school freshmen to college freshmen who are learning English as a foreign language (EFL Learners). These students have mastered basic English skills and are still in language development, and hence they meet our research requirements. First, we tested the Chinese and English syntactic awareness of more than 500 students and decomposed the constructs of Chinese and English syntactic awareness into their components by factor analysis. The purpose was to make clear which components these structures are made up of. And through these components we observed the generality and individuality of Chinese and English syntactic abilities. Next, on the basis of these components, we designed a new test to measure the Chinese and English syntactic awareness in more than 200 subjects. Through observing the relations of these components between the two languages, we were able to judge the transfer ratios and their developmental patterns across grades. Finally, after finding out the components that can transfer, we investigated their role in cross-language reading, which is universally recognized as a specific linguistic ability. Through this series of studies, we systematically examined the whole process of how syntactic awareness of bilinguals develops from specific syntactic ability to abstract language-general ability and how it impacts specific cross-language ability.The results reveal:1. Not all specific syntactic abilities of bilinguals can develop into language-general abilities through abstraction during the process of language learning and using; those language-specific syntactic abilities cannot grow into metalinguistic abilities, and therefore they are not transferable.2. In different stages of language learning and using, components of syntactic awareness transfer with varied strength; the transfer is a dynamic process.3. Those transferable syntactic abilities have significant impact upon specific cross-language ability. But the impact is modulated by language proficiency; namely stronger impact comes with higher language proficiency level.The results of this research can help to further understand the abstract nature of metalinguistic awareness. In other words, metalinguistic awareness arises from specific language ability, but is above it. Only those abilities that have gone beyond specific language use and have become language-general can transfer across languages.更多还原