The timing of island effects in nonnative sentence processing
- Using the eye-movement monitoring technique in two reading comprehension experiments, this study investigated the timing of constraints on wh-dependencies (so-called island constraints) in first- and second-language (L1 and L2) sentence processing. The results show that both L1 and L2 speakers of English are sensitive to extraction islands during processing, suggesting that memory storage limitations affect L1 and L2 comprehenders in essentially the same way. Furthermore, these results show that the timing of island effects in L1 compared to L2 sentence comprehension is affected differently by the type of cue (semantic fit versus filled gaps) signaling whether dependency formation is possible at a potential gap site. Even though L1 English speakers showed immediate sensitivity to filled gaps but not to lack of semantic fit, proficient German-speaking learners of English as a L2 showed the opposite sensitivity pattern. This indicates that initial wh-dependency formation in L2 processing is based on semantic feature matching rather thanUsing the eye-movement monitoring technique in two reading comprehension experiments, this study investigated the timing of constraints on wh-dependencies (so-called island constraints) in first- and second-language (L1 and L2) sentence processing. The results show that both L1 and L2 speakers of English are sensitive to extraction islands during processing, suggesting that memory storage limitations affect L1 and L2 comprehenders in essentially the same way. Furthermore, these results show that the timing of island effects in L1 compared to L2 sentence comprehension is affected differently by the type of cue (semantic fit versus filled gaps) signaling whether dependency formation is possible at a potential gap site. Even though L1 English speakers showed immediate sensitivity to filled gaps but not to lack of semantic fit, proficient German-speaking learners of English as a L2 showed the opposite sensitivity pattern. This indicates that initial wh-dependency formation in L2 processing is based on semantic feature matching rather than being structurally mediated as in L1 comprehension.…
Author details: | Claudia FelserORCiDGND, Ian CunningsORCiD, Claire Batterham, Harald ClahsenORCiDGND |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-415179 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.25932/publishup-41517 |
ISSN: | 1866-8364 |
Title of parent work (English): | Postprints der Universität Potsdam Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe |
Publication series (Volume number): | Zweitveröffentlichungen der Universität Potsdam : Humanwissenschaftliche Reihe (526) |
Publication type: | Postprint |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2019/02/12 |
Publication year: | 2012 |
Publishing institution: | Universität Potsdam |
Release date: | 2019/02/12 |
Tag: | 2nd-language; comprehension; constraints; dependencies; empty categories; english; garden-paths; grammar; plausibility; trace positions |
Number of pages: | 32 |
Last Page: | 526 |
Source: | Studies in Second Language Acquisition 34 (2012) pp. 67–98 DOI: 10.1017/S0272263111000507 |
Organizational units: | Humanwissenschaftliche Fakultät |
DDC classification: | 4 Sprache / 40 Sprache / 400 Sprache |
Peer review: | Referiert |
Publishing method: | Open Access |
Grantor: | Cambridge University Press (CUP) |
License (German): | Keine öffentliche Lizenz: Unter Urheberrechtsschutz |
External remark: | Bibliographieeintrag der Originalveröffentlichung/Quelle |