Carla Contemori
Biographic Data
| ID | 1498129 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Carla Contemori |
| GIVEN NAMES | Carla |
| FAMILY NAME | Contemori |
| SIGNATURE | CONTEMORI C |
| AFFILIATIONS | The University of Texas at El Paso |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4264-6750 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 15 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 13 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 15 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Acquisition of Spanish Differential Object Marking in the comprehension of which-questions
Cross-linguistic research has shown that object which-questions are the hardest types of wh-questions for children to comprehend and are acquired late. The present study asks when Spanish Differential Object Marking (DOM), an early cue to object marking, is actively used to successfully comprehend object which-questions in Spanish-speaking children. We also investigate whether DOM is first used in object which-question with human objects versus a…
The production of subject and object relative clauses in Italian-speaking children
For children, Object Relative (OR) clauses can be late acquired across a number of languages (e.g., this is the goat that the cows are pushing), and production of non-standard ORs that include resumption is often attested (e.g., Italian; French; English). In addition, starting at age 6, children start adopting passive subject relatives (SRs) (e.g., this is the goat that is being pushed by the cows) when an OR is expected. In the present study, we…
Pronoun interpretation in intermediate-advanced L2 English speakers
Aims and objectives: L2 learners who speak a null subject (L1 Spanish) and a non-null subject language (L2 English) may experience cross-linguistic interference from the L2 on L1 pronoun interpretation. In this study, we test pronoun interpretation in the L1 and L2 of adult learners, in comparison with two groups of monolingual speakers, to assess if L1 pronoun interpretation can change as a result of L2 acquisition at intermediate-advanced level…
Referential choice in two languages
Aims and Objectives: Bilingual speakers that speak a null subject (Spanish) and a non-null subject language (English) may show some indeterminacy in referential choice in their nondominant language in comparison to monolingual speakers. The present study tests the production of referring expressions in the two languages of bilingual speakers (Spanish and English) to assess attainment at the discourse level and explore the role of language dominan…
The Use of Pronoun Interpretation Biases in L1 Spanish
In an offline sentence comprehension task, we test the interpretation biases for null and overt pronouns and anaphoric and cataphoric pronouns in heritage speakers ( HS s) whose first language (L1) is Spanish (L2 English). Previous studies have shown that Spanish HS s can interpret overt anaphoric pronouns differently than monolingual speakers. A question that remains unexplored is how HS s interpret cataphoric pronouns and how L1 experience affe…
Changing pronoun interpretations across-languages
Are bilingual speakers’ representations of pronominal expressions completely independent in the two languages, or is there sharing of discourse-level representations cross-linguistically? In the present study, we address this question by using a sentence comprehension task that implements the cross-linguistic priming technique at the discourse-level. In two experiments conducted with Spanish–English bilinguals, we prime dis-preferred interpretati…
The Production of Subject Anaphoric Expressions in Italian and Mexican Spanish
Acquiring L2 Pronoun Interpretation Biases
Learners of a nonnull subject language (e.g., English) whose first language (L1) is a null subject language (e.g., Spanish) can show some optionality in the interpretation of overt subject pronouns in the second language (L2). By exposing L2 learners to nativelike interpretations of pronouns in discourse, we aim at understanding how exposure can promote implicit learning of pronoun comprehension biases in a L2. A sentence comprehension task was u…
Bilingual referential choice in cognitively demanding situations
Under the Interface Hypothesis, bilinguals’ non-nativelike referential choices may be influenced by the increased cognitive demands and less automatic processing of bilingual production. We test this hypothesis by comparing pronoun production in the L2 of nonbalanced Spanish–English bilinguals to that of English monolinguals in two cognitively challenging contexts. In Experiment 1, both monolinguals and bilinguals produced more explicit reference…
The processing of subject pronouns in highly proficient L2 speakers of English
Studies on second language (L2) anaphora resolution have mainly focused on learners of null-subject languages, demonstrating that L2 speakers show residual indeterminacy in the L2 referential choice, even at the highest levels of proficiency. On the other hand, studies on anaphora resolution in L2 learners of non-null-subject languages have shown conflicting results, indicating that L2 speakers may process referential expressions in the L2 like n…
When actions and looks don’t line up
In two eye tracking experiments, we investigate how adult child-L2 speakers of English resolve prepositional phrase (PP) attachment ambiguity in their dominant language (English), and whether they use prosodic information to aid in the process of garden-path recovery. The findings showed an increased processing cost associated with the revision of temporary ambiguous sentences for the child-L2 adults relative to the native English speakers. When …
Changing comprehenders’ pronoun interpretations
Existing research on second language (L2) pronoun resolution has not yet looked at immediate and cumulative priming effects. By using a sentence comprehension task, the present study aims at priming dis-preferred interpretations for ambiguous pronouns. We test a group of native speakers and a group of intermediate-proficiency L2 learners of English, whose first language (L1) is Mexican Spanish. The results suggest that the magnitude of the immedi…
On-line processing of English which -questions by children and adults
Previous research has shown that children demonstrate similar sentence processing reflexes to those observed in adults, but they have difficulties revising an erroneous initial interpretation when they process garden-path sentences, passives, and wh -questions. We used the visual-world paradigm to examine children's use of syntactic and non-syntactic information to resolve syntactic ambiguity by extending our understanding of number features as a…
The impact of number mismatch and passives on the real-time processing of relative clauses
Language processing plays a crucial role in language development, providing the ability to assign structural representations to input strings (e.g., Fodor, 1998). In this paper we aim at contributing to the study of children's processing routines, examining the operations underlying the auditory processing of relative clauses in children compared to adults. English-speaking children (6;0–8;11) and adults participated in the study, which employed …
Comparison of modalities in SLI syntax
Comparison of modalities in SLI syntax
Changing comprehenders’ pronoun interpretations
Existing research on second language (L2) pronoun resolution has not yet looked at immediate and cumulative priming effects. By using a sentence comprehension task, the present study aims at priming dis-preferred interpretations for ambiguous pronouns. We test a group of native speakers and a group of intermediate-proficiency L2 learners of English, whose first language (L1) is Mexican Spanish. The results suggest that the magnitude of the immedi…
Pronoun interpretation in intermediate-advanced L2 English speakers
Aims and objectives: L2 learners who speak a null subject (L1 Spanish) and a non-null subject language (L2 English) may experience cross-linguistic interference from the L2 on L1 pronoun interpretation. In this study, we test pronoun interpretation in the L1 and L2 of adult learners, in comparison with two groups of monolingual speakers, to assess if L1 pronoun interpretation can change as a result of L2 acquisition at intermediate-advanced level…
The Production of Subject Anaphoric Expressions in Italian and Mexican Spanish
Comparison of modalities in SLI syntax
The impact of number mismatch and passives on the real-time processing of relative clauses
Language processing plays a crucial role in language development, providing the ability to assign structural representations to input strings (e.g., Fodor, 1998). In this paper we aim at contributing to the study of children's processing routines, examining the operations underlying the auditory processing of relative clauses in children compared to adults. English-speaking children (6;0–8;11) and adults participated in the study, which employed …
On-line processing of English which -questions by children and adults
Previous research has shown that children demonstrate similar sentence processing reflexes to those observed in adults, but they have difficulties revising an erroneous initial interpretation when they process garden-path sentences, passives, and wh -questions. We used the visual-world paradigm to examine children's use of syntactic and non-syntactic information to resolve syntactic ambiguity by extending our understanding of number features as a…
Changing comprehenders’ pronoun interpretations
Existing research on second language (L2) pronoun resolution has not yet looked at immediate and cumulative priming effects. By using a sentence comprehension task, the present study aims at priming dis-preferred interpretations for ambiguous pronouns. We test a group of native speakers and a group of intermediate-proficiency L2 learners of English, whose first language (L1) is Mexican Spanish. The results suggest that the magnitude of the immedi…
The processing of subject pronouns in highly proficient L2 speakers of English
Studies on second language (L2) anaphora resolution have mainly focused on learners of null-subject languages, demonstrating that L2 speakers show residual indeterminacy in the L2 referential choice, even at the highest levels of proficiency. On the other hand, studies on anaphora resolution in L2 learners of non-null-subject languages have shown conflicting results, indicating that L2 speakers may process referential expressions in the L2 like n…
When actions and looks don’t line up
In two eye tracking experiments, we investigate how adult child-L2 speakers of English resolve prepositional phrase (PP) attachment ambiguity in their dominant language (English), and whether they use prosodic information to aid in the process of garden-path recovery. The findings showed an increased processing cost associated with the revision of temporary ambiguous sentences for the child-L2 adults relative to the native English speakers. When …
Bilingual referential choice in cognitively demanding situations
Under the Interface Hypothesis, bilinguals’ non-nativelike referential choices may be influenced by the increased cognitive demands and less automatic processing of bilingual production. We test this hypothesis by comparing pronoun production in the L2 of nonbalanced Spanish–English bilinguals to that of English monolinguals in two cognitively challenging contexts. In Experiment 1, both monolinguals and bilinguals produced more explicit reference…
Acquiring L2 Pronoun Interpretation Biases
Learners of a nonnull subject language (e.g., English) whose first language (L1) is a null subject language (e.g., Spanish) can show some optionality in the interpretation of overt subject pronouns in the second language (L2). By exposing L2 learners to nativelike interpretations of pronouns in discourse, we aim at understanding how exposure can promote implicit learning of pronoun comprehension biases in a L2. A sentence comprehension task was u…
Changing pronoun interpretations across-languages
Are bilingual speakers’ representations of pronominal expressions completely independent in the two languages, or is there sharing of discourse-level representations cross-linguistically? In the present study, we address this question by using a sentence comprehension task that implements the cross-linguistic priming technique at the discourse-level. In two experiments conducted with Spanish–English bilinguals, we prime dis-preferred interpretati…
The Production of Subject Anaphoric Expressions in Italian and Mexican Spanish
Referential choice in two languages
Aims and Objectives: Bilingual speakers that speak a null subject (Spanish) and a non-null subject language (English) may show some indeterminacy in referential choice in their nondominant language in comparison to monolingual speakers. The present study tests the production of referring expressions in the two languages of bilingual speakers (Spanish and English) to assess attainment at the discourse level and explore the role of language dominan…
The Use of Pronoun Interpretation Biases in L1 Spanish
In an offline sentence comprehension task, we test the interpretation biases for null and overt pronouns and anaphoric and cataphoric pronouns in heritage speakers ( HS s) whose first language (L1) is Spanish (L2 English). Previous studies have shown that Spanish HS s can interpret overt anaphoric pronouns differently than monolingual speakers. A question that remains unexplored is how HS s interpret cataphoric pronouns and how L1 experience affe…
Acquisition of Spanish Differential Object Marking in the comprehension of which-questions
Cross-linguistic research has shown that object which-questions are the hardest types of wh-questions for children to comprehend and are acquired late. The present study asks when Spanish Differential Object Marking (DOM), an early cue to object marking, is actively used to successfully comprehend object which-questions in Spanish-speaking children. We also investigate whether DOM is first used in object which-question with human objects versus a…
The production of subject and object relative clauses in Italian-speaking children
For children, Object Relative (OR) clauses can be late acquired across a number of languages (e.g., this is the goat that the cows are pushing), and production of non-standard ORs that include resumption is often attested (e.g., Italian; French; English). In addition, starting at age 6, children start adopting passive subject relatives (SRs) (e.g., this is the goat that is being pushed by the cows) when an OR is expected. In the present study, we…
Pronoun interpretation in intermediate-advanced L2 English speakers
Aims and objectives: L2 learners who speak a null subject (L1 Spanish) and a non-null subject language (L2 English) may experience cross-linguistic interference from the L2 on L1 pronoun interpretation. In this study, we test pronoun interpretation in the L1 and L2 of adult learners, in comparison with two groups of monolingual speakers, to assess if L1 pronoun interpretation can change as a result of L2 acquisition at intermediate-advanced level…
Linguistics (15 works) · Psychology (15 works) · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism (13 works) · Computer Science (11 works) · Pronoun (7 works) · Reading and Literacy Development (7 works) · Philosophy (6 works) · Comprehension (5 works) · Sentence (5 works) · Subject pronoun (5 works)