| The English causative alternation is different from other syntactic structures in that it is constrained by the semantic properties of verbs. Many studies that have investigated the L2 acquisition of the English causative alternation from a learnability perspective observed that this argument structure poses persistent acquisition problems for L2 learners. Based on a teachability approach, this study investigates whether the English causative alternation is teachable for adult Korean EFL learners, whether different types of instruction have differential effects, and whether individual differences in memory or analytical ability affect how the English causative alternation is learned.; 90 participants were divided into three groups and received different types of instruction using computer-assisted, self-paced materials. The instance group saw instances in contexts, while being told to memorize them. The rule group first learned the rules and practiced applying the rules to instances. Both groups were tested on whether they did what they were required to do and received feedback on their response. The control group had no instruction. Immediate and delayed learning of taught verbs and generalization to new verbs were measured in production and acceptability judgments. In addition, individual differences in memory and analytical ability were measured.; Analyses of the data revealed: (a) Instruction, regardless of type, was effective in facilitating L2 learning, both immediate and delayed, of taught verbs in production and judgments; (b) While instruction facilitated L2 learners' generalizations to new verbs, its effect was limited by instruction type, task type, and duration; (c) In learning taught verbs, rule-based instruction showed an advantage over instance-based instruction in acceptability judgments, but not in production, where both were equally effective; (d) In generalization to new verbs, only rule-based instruction showed significant effect on some of the tasks. Instance-based instruction did not lead to significant improvement in learning new verbs; (e) Ability in analyzing grammar played a role in delayed learning but only under rule instruction, indicating an ability-treatment interaction. Pedagogical implications and suggestions for future research are discussed. |
