a head parameter survey on mazandarani dialect and its effect(s) on learning english from ca perspective (on the basis of x-bar syntax)1

there has been a gradual shift of focus from the study of rule systems, which have increasingly been regarded as impoverished, … to the study of systems of principles, which appear to occupy a much more central position in determining the character and variety of possible human languages. there is a set of absolute universals, notions and principles existing in ug which do not vary from one language to another. while certain grammatical principles and rules may be universal, it is also true that languages differ from one another in some important ways. the first purpose of this study is to investigate the parametric directionality in head parameters (nps, vps, aps and pps) of english, persian and mazandarani on the basis of x-bar theory; it is answered why english is considered head-initial but persian and mazandarani head-final. the second purpose is to see whether the match or mis-match between parameters of mother tongue languages and english as a foreign language, has any impact on better or worse listening comprehension of english when learning it. it is concluded that since english is head-initial, and persian and mazandarani head-final, and there is less match between english and mazandarani parameters than that of english and persian, therefore mazandarani learners of english have more difficulties as far as listening comprehension of english is concerned. hence, we can declare that when difference between the head parameters increases, it can decrease the listening comprehension rate of the second (foreign) language. therefore the result of this study confirms some of the ca hypotheses in which mother tongue has some effects in the processes of foreign language learning. .