Structural and semantic features of learners’ L1 can affect L2 acquisition. This study examines and compares ICNALE data composed of language produced by Japanese EFL learners and native English speakers, focusing on make-causatives with various parts of speech to determine whether there are signs of L1 interference in its use by learners. Its findings suggest that learners are sensitive to the semantic features of the patient, such as animacy. Some findings also imply that Japanese EFL learners may conceptualise English make-causatives as describing a naturally occurring change of state rather than an agent-caused event. The study proposes analyses of causatives and naru constructions in Japanese and examining learning materials to determine whether the different findings are, indeed, due to L1 interference.
Martin Teshome (Wed,) studied this question.