Processing Constraints on Relative Clauses in Korean as a Foreign Language

Abstract

In both first and second language syntax, subject-relatives (SRCs) are easier than object-relatives (ORCs) to comprehend and produce in many cross-linguistically different languages, including English and Korean. By contrast, in Chinese, ORCs are easier than SRCs. This paper examines on-line processing data from the relative clauses in L2 Korean by L1 Chinese speakers. Because L1 (Chinese) and L2 (Korean) have different subject/object asymmetry of RC construction, observing how L2 learners process this construction will improve our understanding of how relative clauses are processed during second language acquisition. Four hypotheses on the processing of relative clauses are tested to evaluate which theories better predict the subject/object asymmetry in relative clauses in Korean and Chinese, languages with different typological descriptions. While the Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy (NPAH) and the Structural Distance Hypothesis (SDH) are supported in Korean, the Canonical Word Order Hypothesis (CWOH) and the Linear Distance Hypothesis (LDH) are supported in Chinese. An online processing experiment was conducted and the results clearly showed that SRCs were easier to process than ORCs. In conclusion, this study suggests that the NPAH and the SDH, not the CWOH and the LDH, play prominent roles in the processing of relative clauses in Korean as a second language by Chinese learners.