Filling In the Missing Piece in Research on Lexicalization Patterns

Abstract

For more than a decade, studies on second language (L2) lexicalization patterns of motion events have examined crosslinguistic differences in encoding semantic elements (e.g., motions, paths, manners) into surface forms (e.g., verbs, prepositions, adverbial clauses). Ultimately, these studies examine the transferability of the L1 form-meaning relationships to interlangauge (IL), claiming that there is an underlying influence of first language (L1) based cognition on L2 acquisition (for a review of previous studies, see Slobin, 2004). This claim of L1 cognitive influence arose from the perspective of linguistic relativity, specifically from Slobin’s (1996) thinking for speaking hypothesis, which asserts that linguistic demands influence how speakers conceptualize motion events.