本研究探討在母體句和嵌入句中空主語和空受語之代名詞現象，而對象以L2 為進階英語的成年漢語者分別習得法語和西語為L3 的初況。這項研究用以測試由不同闡述L3 初階之自然性的理論所做的預測。Baedel 與Falk(2007 & 2011)的《二語情況因素》反對母語遷移，並且提論後天性L2 的構詞句法特質使三語習得較易成功。Rothamn(2011)的《類型學上的遠因模式》主張L3 和前期所習語言(L1 或L2)在類型學上的相似性對語習遷移有決定性因素。將專門討論的問題是研究的結果是否會支持這兩個相互競爭的理論。 The proposal intend to investigate the interpretation of null subject and objects pronouns in matrix and embedded clauses adult Chinese speakers of advanced L2 English acquiring L3 French an dL3 Spanish in the initial stage. It tests predictions made by two current theories in L3 acquisition each of which makes different claims about the nature of L3 initial states. The L2 Status Factor of Bardel and Falk (2007) and Falk and Bardel (2011) argues against L1 transfer and proposes that acquired L2 morphosyntactic properties facilitate L3 acquisition. The Typological Primacy Model of Rothman (2011) claims that typological similarities between the L3 and the previously acquired languages (either L1 or L2) are the deterministic factor for transfer. The question that will be specifically addressed is whether or not results of the study will support the two competing theories.
