NotesFAQContact Us
Collection
Advanced
Search Tips
Back to results
Peer reviewed Peer reviewed
Direct linkDirect link
ERIC Number: EJ922063
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2005-Jun
Pages: 33
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0019-042X
EISSN: N/A
Overpassivization in Second Language Acquisition
Kondo, Takako
International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching (IRAL), v43 n2 p129-161 Jun 2005
An important problem for a language learner is identifying how properties of argument structure are realized morphosyntactically in the particular language they are learning. Speakers of some L1s overgeneralize the morphosyntactic reflexes of the movement of Theme objects in English to unaccusative intransitive verbs, using passive morphology in such cases. In contrast, it appears that the same L2 learners are less likely to do this with unergative verbs. The present paper addresses the question of whether L2 learners of English with typologically different L1s such as Japanese and Spanish will overgeneralize passive morphology to unaccusative verbs in the same way. The results show that both Japanese and Spanish learners of English differentiate unaccusatives from unergatives. However, the two groups differ in their treatment of unaccusatives with transitive alternants and intransitive alternants, suggesting influence of the morphological properties of the L1.
Walter de Gruyter. P.O. Box 960, Herndon, VA 20172-0960. Tel: 800-208-8144; Tel: 703-661-1589; Fax: 703-661-1501; e-mail: degruytermail@presswarehouse.com; Web site: http://www.degruyter.de/rs/384_392_ENU_h.htm
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A