Errors, avoidance, and L1 transfer in English relative clauses: evidence from Sorani Kurdish learners

Abstract

This study examines the acquisition of English relative clauses (RCs) by Sorani Kurdish-speaking learners, an under-researched population in second language acquisition (SLA). It explores how intrinsic structural complexity and prior linguistic knowledge shape learners’ production, error patterns, and avoidance of RCs. Data from a sentence combination test, a sentence translation test, and a set of argumentative essays were analyzed to identify and categorize erroneous and avoided RCs. The study identifies two primary factors underlying these errors: (i) structural differences between English and Sorani Kurdish RC formation, and (ii) the universal hierarchy governing the acquisition of relative clauses. These findings highlight the influence of L1 transfer, particularly in the use of resumptive pronouns and the preference for subject over object relatives, as well as learners’ tendency to avoid more complex constructions such as object relatives. Overall, the results demonstrate the combined effects of typological distance and universal cognitive constraints on the development of interlanguage.