ABSTRACT
Acquiring the aspectual system of a second language (L2) is a challenging task for all L2 learners. Research in second language acquisition (SLA) of aspect in Chinese does not have a long history. Work began only in the 1990s, following the research on L2 aspect acquisition in English and European languages. This chapter provides an overview of this research. It reviews major studies that have been conducted on L2 aspect in Chinese. To understand the effect of L1 transfer in aspect acquisition, one needs to have a good understanding of the temporal system of both learners' native language and the target language. The chapter focuses on English as first language (L1) and consider possible transfer effects from English. Perhaps the most difficult area for L2 learners in aspect acquisition is that the use of an aspect marker is not only determined by semantic factors but also by other factors as well, in particular, pragmatic and discourse factors.
