Impact of the Intrinsic Complexity and Prior Linguistic Knowledge on the Acquisition of Relative Clauses - Research Paper

Oct 15, 2026

The study examines how intrinsic complexity of relative clauses (RCs) and learners’ prior linguistic knowledge affect second-language acquisition by Persian-speaking L2 learners. It analyzes which erroneous and avoided English RC types are produced at three proficiency levels. Data come from a translation task containing six RC types based on the Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy. Statistics of 3,840 RCs show frequent errors involving resumptive pronouns and non-canonical word order changes, interpreted as L1 transfer plus universal intrinsic constraints. Avoidance mainly targets more marked RCs linked to these constraints.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Research focus and hypotheses

Noun Phrase Accessibility Hypothesis (NPAH)

Word Order Difference Hypothesis (WDH)

Data collection and task design

Error and avoidance analysis

Impact of the Intrinsic Complexity and Prior Linguistic Knowledge on the Acquisition of Relative Clauses Golpar Bahar University of Siegen Gero Kunter University of Siegen Abstract The study explores the extent to which the intrinsic complexity of relative clauses (RCs) and prior linguistic knowledge impact the acquisition of RCs by L2 learners. The study investigates the main sources of the erroneous and avoided types of English RCs produced by Persian-speaking learners of English at three proficiency levels. The data elicitation task was a translation test comprised of six types ofRCs modeled on the RC types in the Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy. To analyze the data, the occurrence frequencies of the correctly and erroneously formed RCs were counted and the avoided RCs were identified in each RC type. Then, a precise error analysis was done. The statistical analysis of 3840 RCs showed that the most common error types were (i) forming English RCs with resumptive pronouns and (ii) altering more-marked RCs with non-canonical word order to less-marked RCs with canonical word order. The errors are interpreted as evidence for the impact of both L1 transfer and the universal intrinsic constraints of RCs. The analysis of the avoided RC types, mostly the more marked RCs, indicates that avoidance is mainly linked to the universal intrinsic constraints of RCs. Résumé L'étude explore dans quelle mesure la complexité intrinsèque des clauses relatives (RC) et les connaissances linguistiques préalables influencent l'acquisition des RC par les apprenants de L2 . L'étude examine les principales sources des types erronés et évités de RC anglais produits par des apprenants d'anglais persan à trois niveaux de compétence. La tâche d'obtention de données était un test de traduction composé de six types de RC modélisés sur les types de RC dans la hiérarchie d'accessibilité des expressions nominales. Pour analyser les données, les fréquences d'occurrence des RC formés correctement et par erreur ont été comptées et les RC évités ont été identifiés dans chaque type de RC. Ensuite, une analyse précise des erreurs a été réalisée. L'analyse statistique de 3840 RC amontré que les types d'erreurs les plus courants étaient (i) la formation de RC anglais avec des pronoms résomptifs et (ii) la modification de RC plus marqués avec un ordre non canonique des mots en RC moins marqués avec un ordre canonique des mots. Les erreurs sont interprétées comme une preuve de l’impact à la fois du transfert L1 et des contraintesintrinsèques universelles des RC. L’analyse des types de RC évités, principalement les plus marqués, indique que l’évitement est principalement lié aux contraintes intrinsèques universelles des RC. Introduction Several hypotheses have been proposed regarding the order of acquisition of relative clauses, encompassing theories such as the Noun Phrase Accessibility Hypothesis (NPAH), Absolutive Hypothesis (AH), Perceptual Difficulty Hypothesis (PDH), Subject Object Hierarchy Hypothesis (SOHH), Linear Distance Hypothesis (LDH), Structural Distance Hypothesis (SDH), and Word Order Difference Hypothesis (WDH) . While these hypotheses primarily address theories of first language acquisition of RCs, efforts have been made to assess their applicability in second language acquisition contexts. However, due to the limited scope of cross-linguistic studies incorporating non-L1 data, scholars such as Gass and Lee (2007) argue that investigations utilizing L2 data could significantly advance our understanding of second language acquisition. The present study specifically focuses on the NPAH and WDH due to their potential insights into the acquisition processes of L1 Persian and L2 English learners, particularly regarding resumption differences. Persian is a representative language permitting resumption, contrasting with English, which lacks this feature. According to the NPAH, the relativizability of a noun phrase (NP) is linked to

FAQs

What factors does the study evaluate in relative-clause acquisition?

It evaluates the intrinsic complexity of relative clauses and the role of prior linguistic knowledge in shaping how L2 learners acquire relative clauses.

How was the data collected for the analysis?

The study used a translation test that elicited six types of relative clauses modeled on the RC types in the Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy.

What were the most common error patterns found?

The most common errors involved forming English RCs with resumptive pronouns and altering more marked RCs using non-canonical word order to less marked RCs with canonical word order.

Oct 15, 2026

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