The time-course of competition from the L1 grammar in L2 sentence processing

Evidence from cross-linguistic structural priming

Dados Bibliográficos

ID11655918
AutoresHolger Hopp (0000-0003-3026-3349, Technische Universität Braunschweig, autor correspondente), Theres Grüter (0000-0001-6354-9787, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa)
Ano2021
Volume39
Fascículo1
Páginas133-159
Data de publicação2021-04-25
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoSecond language Research (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0267-6583 • E-ISSN: 1477-0326
EditoraSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/02676583211009586
OpenAlexW3158249059
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas13
Referências citadas43

In two visual-world eye-tracking experiments, we explore the extent to which conflicting first-language (L1) based grammatical parses influence second-language (L2) learners’ on-line and off-line interpretation of sentences in the L2. We used cross-linguistic structural priming to potentially boost competition from the L1 grammar during the processing of wh-questions in English. For L1-German learners (Experiment 1), sentence-final interpretations showed effects of conflicting L1 parses in the greater number of misinterpretations of English subject as object wh-questions than vice versa. In a follow-up experiment with a comparison group of L1-Japanese learners (Experiment 2), we found the reverse pattern in sentence-final interpretations, with lower accuracy on English object than subject wh-questions. The asymmetry in comprehension accuracy between Experiments 1 and 2 demonstrated that the effect observed among L1-German learners reflected grammar competition from the L1 rather than general L2 effects. In both experiments, we observed cross-linguistic priming from L1 object questions to L2 object questions in on-line processing. Yet, cross-linguistic priming did not enhance competition from L1 object questions on L2 subject questions in Experiment 1 as reflected in comprehension accuracy or eye-gaze during processing. Together, these findings present evidence of cross-linguistic structural priming for equivalent interpretations (object–object), but indicate that priming does not extend to competing L1 interpretations of word-order equivalent structures cross-linguistically (object–subject). We suggest that interference from conflicting L1-based grammatical parses is narrowly delimited in intermediate to advanced L2 sentence processing

Comprehension · German · Grammar · Linguistics · Object (grammar · Priming (agriculture · Sentence · Sentence processing · Subject (documents · Word order · Computer Science · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism · Psychology · Second Language Acquisition and Learning