This study examines the linguistic and L1-related factors affecting advanced L2 Korean learners’ acquisition of case-particle alternation, with emphasis on morphosyntactic and lexical-semantic conditions. Specifically, it analyzes Japanese L1 and Ch...
This study examines the linguistic and L1-related factors affecting advanced L2 Korean learners’ acquisition of case-particle alternation, with emphasis on morphosyntactic and lexical-semantic conditions. Specifically, it analyzes Japanese L1 and Chinese L1 learners’ judgments of causative constructions and quotative clausal complements. In causative constructions (morphosyntactic condition), Japanese L1 learners demonstrate non-native-like performances owing to morphological incongruency with Koreans. By contrast, in cognitive clausal complements involving ergativity (lexical-semantic condition), they demonstrate native-like sensitivity, thus suggesting the facilitative role of morphological congruency. Chinese L1 learners, whose native language is devoid of a case-marking system, experience persistent difficulties with both constructions. These findings challenge the interface hypothesis, which predicts fewer difficulties in internal interfaces, and indicate that morphosyntactic phenomena may pose challenges when L1-L2 alignments are weak.