句法－語義與句法－音韻界面下wh－存在極性詞的二語習得

L2 Acquisition of Wh–Existential Polarity Words across the Syntax–Semantics and Syntax–Prosody Interfaces

本研究探討英語母語者在華語二語習得中對wh－詞彙作為存在極性詞（existential polarity words, EPW）的掌握，聚焦於句法－語義界面與句法－音韻界面。華語wh－詞彙同時具備疑問詞與EPW的雙重功能，其使用受到否定詞、不定情態詞、非事實性動詞與未來性動詞等非真值語境的制約，並可透過音高、強度與時長等音韻線索與wh－疑問句加以區分。本研究以32名英語母語華語學習者（中階16人、高階16人）及10名華語母語者為研究對象，透過可接受度判斷測驗（Acceptability Judgment Task, AJT）與誘導朗讀任務（Elicited Reading Task, ERT）進行檢測。結果顯示，高階學習者在兩個界面上的表現皆與母語者高度趨近；相對地，中階學習者呈現明顯的變項依賴性，在不定情態詞與否定詞條件下表現出較高的變異性，且其音韻產出之穩定度隨語境而顯著波動，反映界面習得的漸進性與非同步發展特徵。研究結果支持「變項依賴」的界面習得觀點，指出句法－語義界面與句法－音韻界面的困難並非一致或全面性的，受到多項語言與學習因素的共同調節，包括引介詞類型、詞彙語義透明度、跨語言影響，以及二語輸入的品質；相關影響亦具體反映於理解任務（AJT）與產出任務（ERT）之間所呈現的任務不對稱現象。

This study investigates how native English speakers acquire Mandarin whwords functioning as existential polarity words (EPWs) in second language acquisition, with a focus on both the syntax–semantics interface and the syntax–prosody interface. In Mandarin, wh-words serve a dual function as interrogatives and EPWs. Their distribution is constrained by non-veridical environments, including negators, uncertainty modals, non-factive verbs, and futurity verbs, and they can be distinguished from wh-questions through prosodic cues such as pitch, intensity, and duration. Participants included 32 English-speaking learners of Mandarin (16 intermediate and 16 advanced) and 10 native Mandarin speakers, who completed an Acceptability Judgment Task (AJT) and an Elicited Reading Task (ERT). The results show that advanced learners exhibit performance patterns closely approximating those of native speakers at both interfaces. In contrast, intermediate learners display clear variable-dependent and uneven developmental profiles: their judgments are more variable under conditions involving uncertainty modals and negators, and the stability of their prosodic production fluctuates significantly across licensing environments. These patterns reveal the gradual and non-synchronous nature of interface development. Overall, the findings support a variable-dependent view of interface acquisition, demonstrating that difficulties at the syntax–semantics and syntax–prosody interfaces are neither uniform nor global. Instead, learner performance is jointly modulated by multiple linguistic and learning-related factors, including licensor type, lexical semantic transparency, cross-linguistic influence, and the quality of L2 input. The effects of these factors are further reflected in systematic task asymmetries between comprehension (AJT) and production (ERT).