Resumen de Japanese EFL learners' sensitivity to configurational distinction in English relativization
The present study investigated what determined the difficulty of English relative clauses. Grammatical relation, configuration and thematic role in relative clause structures were selected as variables determining the English relative clause difficulty. The results indicated that Japanese learners of English were more sensitive to configurational distinction than grammatical relation distinction and thematic distinction. Based on the research results, the recent treatment of Noun Phrase Accessibility Hierarchy in second language acquisition research was criticized.
