The Impact of Information Structure as a Discourse Factor on the Acquisition of Dative Alternation by L2 Learners

Abstract

Abstract. Across two tasks, the sensitivity of Persian learners of English as a Foreign Language (PLEFL) to the impact of discourse factors on the dative alternation is tested. In Task 1, elicited production data from both native speakers of English and the PLEFL at different levels of proficiency shows that neither group's responses are affected by the discourse factors. The native speakers’ performance can only be meaningfully interpreted when individual verbs are brought into consideration; the Persian learners, excluding the elementary ones, who consistently produce prepositional datives, echo the construction in the question. In Task 2, data from acceptability judgements show that the native speakers, advanced and high-intermediate subjects prefer the responses with a Given-New order. The incongruity between the two tasks is attributed to the nature of the tasks. Additionally, evidence is provided for the existence of a very specific developmental sequence in the acquisition of the interaction between discourse factors and dative alternation. The consequences of the findings of this study for perspectives on interlanguage are discussed.