本論文旨在研究台灣大學生的英語關系子句習得，藉由三個不同理論基礎的假設NPAH (Noun Phrase Accessibility Hypothesis)、PDH(Perceptual Difficulty Hypothesis)與SOHH (SO Hierarchy Hypothesis)以了解學習者在習得過程中會受到哪些因素的限制。這些因素可能包括語言普遍性原則(universal principles)，母語，以及人類的認知系統(human cognition)。同時，本研究也將分析學習者在形成英語關係子句時會採用哪些迴避策略(avoidance strategies)。
本研究對象為84位中山大學非英語系的學生。以三種測驗方式：合併句子(sentence combination test)、中翻英(Chinese-English translation test)以及文法是非判斷(grammaticality judgment test)引出12種類型的英語關係子句：SS, SO, SIO, SOPREP, SGEN, SOCOMP, OS, OO,OIO, OOPREP,OGEN, 以及OOCOMP。
本研究發現大致上三個假設NPAH、PDH與SOHH皆獲得支持。語言普遍性原則(universal principles)，母語，以及人類的認知系統(human cognition)都是有可能的限制因素。學習者在習得過程中普遍覺得中央嵌入句(center-embedded sentences)與OCOMP關係子句是較困難的，同時在也最常在這兩種情況使用迴避策略(avoidance strategies)。

This study set out to examine the Taiwan college students’ underlying knowledge of English relative clauses in attempt to see what the factor(s) is/are that constrain(s) the learners’ language acquisition process, whether it is the universal factor, the native language, or human general problem solving skill. Three predictor hypotheses were used in this investigation: NAPH, PDH, and SOHH, which are motivated by different theoretical backgrounds. The NPAH is based on the typological markedness, the PDH is based on the notion of human limited capacity of short term memory, and SOHH the combination of NPAH and PDH, and the structural difficulty of relative clause. The data from 84 non-English major college students of NSYSU were elicited using three kinds of tasks: sentence combination test, Chinese-English translation test, and grammaticality judgment test. 12 types of English relative clauses were analyzed in this study, namely SS, SO, SIO, SOPREP, SGEN, SOCOMP, OS, OO,OIO, OOPREP,OGEN, OOCOMP. In addition, the learners’ avoidance strategies were extensively analyzed to see what was actually avoided as they were engaged in the formation of English relative clauses. Implicationally, the results suggest that Universal Grammar may be still operative in the minds of the adult FL language learners. Overall, we have the following findings:
1.The learners’ acquisition of relative clauses is largely constrained by the universal markedness by NPAH, except GEN, and the order between IO and OPREP.
2.The retention of pronoun is largely constrained by the linguistic universals of NPAH, but Chinese also has certain influence on the learners’ choice of supplying resumptive pronoun.
3.The learners largely did experience more difficulty in center-embedded relative clauses, which matches PDH.
4.Largely, SOHH is a valid prediction of the learners’ acquisition of relative clauses.
5.The learners tended to avoid relativization on the positions low on the NPAH, except GEN.
6.The learners did frequently avoid OCOMP relatives and center-embedded relative clauses.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgement i
Chinese Abstract ii
Abstract iii
Table of Contents v
List of Tables viii
List of Figures x

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background and motivation 1
1.2 Three predictor hypotheses 3
1.2.1 Noun phrase accessibility hierarchy hypothesis (NPAH) 3
1.2.2 Perceptual difficulty hypothesis (PDH) 6
1.2.3 SO hierarchy hypothesis (SOHH) 8
1.2.4 Summary of the three hypotheses 10
1.3 The role of L1 10
1.4 Purpose of the study 12
1.5 Signifiacnce of the study 13

CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 English Relative Clauses 15
2.1.1 Definition 15
2.1.2 Head-initial 16
2.1.3 Rrelativization process 16
2.1.4 Relativization strategies 17
2.1.5. Relative pronoun variables and resumptive pronoun 18
2.1.6 Center embedding and right embedding 19
2.2 Chinese Relative Clauses 20
2.2.1 Definition 20
2.2.2 Head-final 20
2.2.3 Relativization process and relative marker 21
2.2.4 relativizable positions 22
2.2.5 resumptive pronoun 23
2.3 Similarities and Differences between English and Chinese relative clauses 24
2.4 Previous studies in the acquisition of relative clauses 26
2.4.1 Acquisition of English relative clauses and relative clauses in other languages 27
2.4.2 Summary 36
2.4.3 Acquisition of Chinese relative clauses 40
2.4.4 Summary 44

CHAPTER THREE METHODOLOGY

3.1 Research questions 45
3.2 The subjects 46
3.3 Research design 46
3.4 The relative clause type tested 48
3.5 Measuring instruments 50
3.5.1 Combination task 51
3.5.2 Translation task 51
3.5.3 Grammaticality judgment task 53
3.6 Procedures 54
3.7 Scoring 56

CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS

4.1 The accuracy order of relative clauses 59
4.1.1 Sentence combination test 59
4.1.2 Chinese-English translation test 61
4.1.3 Grammaticality judgment test 63
4.1.4 Summary for the results of the accuracy order 64
4.2 Resumptive pronoun 66
4.2.1 Sentence combination test 66
4.2.2 Chinese-English translation test 68
4.2.3 Grammaticality judgment test 69
4.2.4 Summary 72
4.3 Avoidance strategies 72
4.3.1 Sentence combination test 72
4.3.2 Chinese-English translation test 75
4.3.3 Summary 77

CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

5.1 The main findings from the research results 84
5.2 The unexpected result in grammaticality judgment test 85
5.3 GEN and IO and OPREP relatives 86
5.4 The interference of Chinese 88
5.5 The implication of UG 90
5.6 Summary and Conclusion 92

REFERENCES 95

APPENDIX 102

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