L2 Acquisition Of English Caused-Motion Construction By Chinese EFL Learners

The present study investigated L2 acquisition of English Caused-Motion Construction(hereinafter CMC) by Chinese EFL learners within the framework of Construction Grammar.The caused-motion construction is the mapping or the conceptualization of the caused-motion event in language. To be more specific, the basic or the prototypical meaning of this construction is “the causer argument directly causes the theme argument to move along a path designated by the directional phrase”, that is, “X causes Y to move Z”(Goldberg, 1995:152). The extensional senses of this prototypical sense include obligation of motion,enablement of motion, negation of motion and assistance of motion.Previous studies on English CMC mainly concentrate on its theoretical analysis. On the basis of Goldberg’s Construction Grammar, the present study makes an attempt to explore both the comprehension and the production of English CMC. It aims to investigate the acquisitional condition of English CMC by Chinese EFL learners so as to bring some enlightenment for English teaching and learning.By means of an English Caused-Motion Construction Test, the empirical study explored the acquisitional condition of English CMC by 90 participants from three different proficiency levels(i.e., low, intermediate and high). The investigation was intended to clarify the relationship between the English language proficiency and L2 acquisition of English CMC.Furthermore, the study also explored the acquisitional order of English CMC by Chinese EFL learners.The data gained from the experiment was analyzed by Two-way ANOVA and One-way ANOVA. The results of the empirical study confirmed the research hypotheses developed by the author.The major findings of the current study are as follows:First, English language proficiency may affect Chinese EFL learners’ performance on the acquisition of English CMC. The higher the English language proficiency, the better Chinese EFL learners were able to acquire English CMC.Second, the participants at different English language proficiency levels acquired the prototypical sense(Sense A) best and Sense E worst. Sense B, Sense C and Sense D ranked in between.Third, negative transfer of L1 plays an important role in Chinese EFL learners’ acquisition of English CMC.The present study has some practical implications for English teaching: First, it issuggested that teachers follow the constructionist perspective of language learning for grammar teaching so as to equip the students with a systematic understanding of different constructions. Second, teachers should teach the constructions from their prototypical sense to their extended senses. Therefore, students could obtain a panoramic understanding of the constructions concerned. Third, teachers should explain the differences between English CMC and Chinese CMC so as to reduce the negative transfer of L1 on the acquisition of English CMC.