Multiple constraints on the acquisition of English dative alternations by Zhuang EFL learners: roles of verb bias, verb semantics, and argument features

This study investigated the effects of verb bias, verb semantics, and argument features in Zhuang EFL (English as a Foreign Language) learners’ acquisition of English dative alternations. A sentence rating task was used in the study. Participants in the study were L1 Zhuang–L2 Mandarin–L3 English speakers at intermediate and advanced English proficiency levels. Linear mixed-effects models demonstrated that verb-bias, verb-semantics, and argument features jointly exerted constraining effects: significant main effects emerged for verb-bias (preemption), verb semantics (mailing and bequeathing), and multiple argument features (syntactic complexity, pronominality of recipient, definiteness of theme, animacy of recipient, animacy of theme, number of theme, person of recipient and previous prepositional object construction). By-group analysis further revealed that advanced learners showed broader sensitivity to these multi-dimensional constraints. To the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to jointly examine verb bias, verb semantics, and argument features of English dative alternations in this specific L3 learner population, with learners’ sensitivity to predictive factors scaling positively with their proficiency.