Evaluating Processability Theory as an explanation for creole features: a corpus-based case study of Cameroon Pidgin English

这个项目考察了第二语言习得(SLA)在克里奥尔语言发展中的作用。尽管克里奥尔人出现在世界各地不同的语言环境中，但他们的语法往往是相似的。Plag(2008)用二语习得的认知理论--可加工性理论解释了这些相似之处，该理论认为学习者创造一种具有可预测结构阶段的认知“中介语”。Plag声称，克里奥尔人之间的相似之处源于其中一个阶段的语言“化石”。对普拉格理论的预测进行大规模的类型学调查还有待进行。我的项目通过创建一份可能影响喀麦隆洋金英语(CPE)的语言特征的类型学清单，来检验它对喀麦隆洋金英语(CPE)的预测。这份清单将用于根据可加工性理论为CPE的结构创建一组预测，然后将其与CPE语料库(可搜索的数字数据库)中的数据进行比较，以实证检验该理论。这个项目的研究结果将有助于我们理解语言结构是如何在接触环境中出现的。研究问题--基于在其上层和底层语言中发现的句法结构，可加工性理论对CPE的句法做出了什么预测？--CPE语料库中存在的句法结构是否与加工性理论所做的预测相匹配？研究方法本项目的方法论基于Plag的中介语假说(Plag 2008)，使用Pienemann的可加工性理论(Pienemann 1998)，包括以下几个阶段：-确定一组句法特征参数，包括名词短语、动词短语、语序、关系从句和其他复杂从句。-确定可能的基础语言--包括被认为是CPE发展起来的在杜阿拉周围使用的贝努埃-刚果语言，以及CPE与之有广泛联系的塞拉利昂克里奥的基础语言。-利用图书馆资源，为这些语言提供源语法，以确定它们的句法特征。在苏塞克斯没有的语法可以从大通大学的SOAS获得，我可以作为校友访问它。-使用可加工性理论根据英语和CPE的底物语言的结构为每个参数创建一组CPE预测。-使用语料库搜索来确定每个参数使用的策略，以测试CPE中的预测。该方法还为CPE及其底物语言创建可比较的句法特征集，可用于未来的比较或系统发育研究。

This project examines the role of second language acquisition (SLA) in the development of creole languages. Despite arising in diverse language environments worldwide, creoles often have similar grammars. Plag (2008) explains these similaritiesusing Processability Theory, a cognitive theory of SLA which posits that learners create a cognitive 'interlanguage' which has predictable structural stages. Plag claims that similarities between creoles result from the language 'fossilising' at one of these stages. A large-scale typological investigation of the predictions of Plag's theory has yet to be conducted. My project examines the predictions it makes for Cameroon Pidgin English (CPE), a Creole spoken widely in Cameroon, by creating a typological inventory of linguistic features likely to have influenced CPE. The inventory will be used to create a set of predictions for CPE's structure based on Processability Theory, which will then be compared to data from a corpus (searchable digital database) of CPE, to empirically test the theory. The findings of this project will contribute to our understanding of how language structures emerge in contact situations.Research questions- Based on the syntactic structures found in its superstrate and substrate languages, what predictions does Processability Theory make for the syntax of CPE?- Do the syntactic structures present in the corpus of CPE match the predictions made by Processability Theory?Research methodsThe methodology for this project is based on Plag's Interlanguage Hypothesis (Plag 2008), using Pienemann's Processability Theory (Pienemann 1998), and involves the following stages:- Identify a set of syntactic feature parameters, including structures such as noun phrases, verb phrases, constituent order, relative clauses and other complex clauses.- Identify possible substrate languages - including Benue-Congo languages spoken around Douala where CPE is believed to have developed, and the substrate languages of Sierra Leonean Krio, with which CPE had extended contact.- Source grammars for these languages to identify their syntactic features, using library resources. Grammars unavailable at Sussex can be sourced at SOAS, a CHASE University, which I can access as an alumna.- Create a set of predictions for CPE for each parameter based on the structures of English and CPE's substrate languages using Processability Theory.- Test the predictions against the structures found in CPE using corpus searches to identify the strategy used for each parameter.This method also creates comparable sets of syntactic features for CPE and its substrate languages which can be used for future comparative or phylogenetic work.