The Acquisition of Dative Alternation and Markedness in Second Language Learning

Year 2018, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 26 - 41, 01.05.2018

Gülin Zeybek

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate English dative alternation in
terms of markedness theory. In this regard, the markedness of two possible
structures of dative alternation, [NP NP] vs. [NP PP], for- and to- dative
verbs, and 12 native-origin and 6 nonnative-origin dative verbs are
investigated among 50 university students whose L1 is Turkish and L2 is
English. In order to collect data, a grammaticality judgement test and a
picture-cued production test were used. The results revealed that [NP PP] structure
is unmarked for Turkish learners of English. Furthermore, participants used the
preposition to instead of for with for-dative vebs ­in prepositional dative structures in the
production test.

Keywords

Markedness, Dative alternation, Prepostional datives

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