Abstract
This is a cross-linguistic experimental study on motion event descriptions. Based on Talmy’s (1991) typology of motion event descriptions, we focus on three different languages, English, Hungarian and Japanese, and examine how second language (L2) learners describe motion events. Comparing the three target L2 adult learner groups with the three native language groups, this study experimentally demonstrates the influence of the L1 patterns on L2 acquisition and the common properties observed in the three learners’ languages, focusing on both spontaneous and causative motion events. The results also clarify that the L2 learners have their own characteristics as learners, regardless of the typological pattern of their L1, indicating the necessity for further study which not only examines L1 influence but also learner strategies.
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