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2025
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info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
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Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (España). Escuela Internacional de Doctorado. Programa de doctorado en filología. Estudios lingüísticos y literarios
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This thesis examines the acquisition of English dative alternation by Spanish-speaking learners, comparing the effectiveness of explicit and implicit instructional methodologies. Grounded in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories, the study explores how linguistic transfer, cognitive processing, and pedagogical strategies influence learners' ability to internalise complex syntactic structures. It builds upon prior research, including Imaz Aguirre (2015), and Cuervo’s (2003) insights into dative argument structure, while also incorporating Demonte’s (1995) analysis of Spanish dative alternation as a comparative framework. An experimental study was conducted with Spanish secondary school students (ESO), divided into two groups: one receiving explicit instruction with contrastive grammar explanations and the other undergoing implicit instructionthrough communicative tasks. Data were gathered through Cambridge Placement Tests, oral production tasks, and multiple-choice interpretation exercises, with statistical analyses confirming significant differences in learning outcomes. The explicit group demonstrated stronger initial gains and greater accuracy in dative alternation use, while the implicit group exhibited lower acquisition rates and retention difficulties. The findings confirm that explicit instruction significantly enhances the acquisition and retention of dative alternation, particularly for structures lacking direct equivalents in L1. Spanish learners consistently favour prepositional dative constructions ("give a book to John") over double-object forms ("give John a book"), reinforcing the role of L1 transfer. The results challenge communicative methodologies that downplay explicit grammar teaching, advocating instead for a hybrid instructional model where explicit instruction is strategically integrated within communicative frameworks. A major contribution of this thesis is its pedagogical implications for L2 curriculum design. The study highlights the absence of explicit dative alternation instruction in standard secondary school textbooks, a gap that may hinder grammatical competence development. Based on these findings, it proposes curricular reforms, including contrastive analysis exercises to address L1-L2 syntactic differences, metalinguistic awareness activities to enhance learners' understanding of structural alternations, and technology-enhanced learning tools such as adaptive grammar exercises and corpus-based activities. From a theoretical perspective, the study supports cognitive processing models in SLA, particularly Schmidt’s Noticing Hypothesis (1990), which argues that conscious attention to linguistic structures facilitates acquisition. The findings challenge innatism perspectives, demonstrating that implicit exposure alone is insufficient for mastering complex syntactic patterns. Additionally, the research underscores the necessity of long-term reinforcement strategies, as explicit instruction gains tend to decline over time. Given the limitations of short-term interventions, the study suggests that longitudinal research is needed to assess whether explicit instruction leads to long-term automatization of dative structures. Future investigations should explore the effectiveness of blended learning approaches, the role of corpus linguistics in SLA, and the impact of L1 background on L2 acquisition. By addressing theoretical and pedagogical gaps, this research advances evidence- based SLA methodologies, reinforcing the importance of explicit instruction in L2 grammar teaching, particularly for syntactic structures influenced by L1 transfer. The study advocates for a balanced approach that integrates explicit teaching within communicative tasks, ultimately improving grammatical accuracy and fluency in Spanish-speaking learners of English.
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Calleja Rituerto, Iván (2025). Bridging theory and practice: Linguistic perspectives and empirical insights on L2 acquisition of English dative structures. [Tesis doctoral, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (España)]
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Escuela Internacional de Doctorado
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Programa de doctorado
Programa de doctorado en filología. Estudios lingüísticos y literarios