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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 4, 2026

Using Eye Movements Recorded in the Visual World Paradigm to Explore the Online Processing of Spoken Language

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Published on: October 13, 2018

Word order processing in a second language: from VO to OV.

Kepa Erdocia¹, Adam Zawiszewski, Itziar Laka

¹Department of Linguistics and Basque Studies, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Unibertsitateko Ibilbidea 5, 01006 , Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain, kepa.erdozia@ehu.es.

Journal of Psycholinguistic Research

|December 26, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Highly proficient bilinguals process Basque word order differently than natives. Despite behavioral similarities, event-related potential (ERP) data show distinct neural activity, suggesting unique processing resources for second language (L2) acquisition.

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Linguistics
Cognitive Science

Background:

Second language (L2) processing differences are linked to proficiency, age of acquisition, and grammar.
The precise impact of these factors on L2 processing remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate behavioral and electrophysiological differences in L2 Basque word order processing.
To compare early bilinguals (L1 Spanish-L2 Basque) with native speakers.

Main Methods:

Behavioral experiments and event-related potential (ERP) recordings were used.
Participants processed canonical (SOV) and non-canonical (OSV) Basque sentences.

Main Results:

Bilinguals showed behavioral preference for SOV, processing it faster and easier than OSV.
Electrophysiological data revealed a P600 component in bilinguals for OSV sentences, absent in natives.
This P600 difference occurred when comparing subjects and objects in the second position.

Conclusions:

High-proficiency L2 speakers exhibit behavioral preferences aligning with native speakers.
However, distinct neural patterns (P600) suggest L2 processing recruits different neural resources compared to L1.
This highlights the complex interplay between proficiency and neural mechanisms in bilingual language acquisition.