ABSTRACT
Functional approaches consider the relationship between form and function within an extended, beyond-sentence-level discourse. Cross-linguistic influence (CLI) in second language (L2) reference has been systematically investigated through research designs comparing the performance of speakers whose first language is typologically close to and different from the L2. This chapter explores whether CLI can be confirmed in the written L2 English prepositional referent marking system, by learners of another language with postpositional markings. Summarising how learners at all proficiency levels referred to the female protagonist in different contexts, it can be said that appropriate use of markings for introductions and maintenance seemed to develop with proficiency. Specifically, while there was a mixture of indefinite and definite markings in referent introduction, especially in discourse topic position at the lowest level, inappropriate definiteness marking decreased with rising proficiency.
