noun phrase accessibility hierarchy n
also NAPH
a way of describing the relation among different relative clause types across
languages. The claims made by those who posit a hierarchy include the
following:
1 All languages have some types of relative clauses.
2 The range of relative clause types includes:
subject relative clause (SU), for example, He thanked the mechanic who
fixed his car(whorefers to the subject of the relative clause)
object relative clause (DO), for example, He took his car to the mechanic
(who) he liked best(whorefers to the object of the relative clause)
indirect object relative clause (IO), for example, I know who you told
the story(whorefers to the indirect object of the relative clause)
object of preposition relative clause (OPREP), for example, I moved
the rock (that) you hid the money under(thatrefers to the complement
of under)
genitive relative clause (GEN), for example, I know the man whose car
the mechanic fixed(whoserefers to the owner of the car)
comparative relative clause (OCOMP), for example, I know someone
(who) you are smarter than(whorefers to the complement of smarter).
3 Not all languages permit all relative clause types. They form a hierarchy:
SU >DO >IO >OPREP >GEN >OCOMP. The relative clause types to
the left are higher in the hierarchy. If a language has any of one of these
relative clause types, it will also have all types higher in the hierarchy. For
example, if a language has IO, it will also have DO and SU. If it has
OCOMP, it will have all other types as well.
4 The claim has also been made that second language learners will find it
easiest to learn relative clause types higher in the hierarchy (such as SU
and DO) and more difficult to learn those that are lower down.
see also markedness
novice teacher n
a teacher who has completed his or her teacher education programme, who
has little practical experience of teaching and who has just begun his or her
teaching career.
see expertise
NP n
an abbreviation for noun phrase^1
NPAH n
an abbreviation for noun phrase accessibility hierarchy
NPAH