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Proceedings of the 8th Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition Conference (GASLA 2006): The Banff Conference edited by Mary Grantham O'Brien, Christine Shea, and John Archibald ISBN 1-57473-416-4 library binding v+161 pages publication date: 2006 published by Cascadilla Proceedings Project, Somerville, MA, USA Table of contents Abstract Boping Yuan Variability at Different Interfaces in the Development of English Speakers' L2 Chinese Wh-questions 153-161 (complete pdf) This paper reports on an empirical study investigating the development of wh-words in English-speaking learners' L2 Chinese wh-questions. 107 English speakers were involved in the study including beginners and very advanced learners representing the final state of L2 Chinese grammars. It is found in the study that wh-words do not develop in a uniform fashion in L2 Chinese. Some wh-words behave variably only in the initial and intermediate states, but for some, the variable behaviours are so persistent that the variability remains even in the final state of L2 Chinese grammars. The variable behaviours are argued to be due to problems at the lexical morphology-syntax interface and at the semantics-syntax interface in learners' L2 Chinese grammars. |