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Determiner-Number Specification and Non-Local Agreement Computation in L1 and L2 Processing
Yesi Cheng1, Jason Rothman2, Ian Cunnings3
1School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, The University of Reading (Whiteknights Campus), Reading, RG6 7BE, UK.
Journal of Psycholinguistic Research
|March 24, 2022
Summary
English natives and Chinese learners process non-local agreement similarly. Determiner-number specification aids processing of number violations, especially with demonstrative determiners, in acceptability judgments.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Second Language Acquisition
- Linguistic Processing
Background:
- Non-local agreement is crucial for sentence comprehension.
- Understanding native and non-native language processing differences is key.
- The role of determiner-number specification in agreement processing is under-explored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare English native speakers and Chinese learners in processing non-local agreement.
- To investigate the influence of determiner-number specification on agreement processing.
- To examine potential qualitative differences in native vs. non-native language processing.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a self-paced reading task to measure processing time.
- Employed concurrent acceptability judgments to assess grammatical correctness.
- Manipulated number marking with demonstrative determiners (e.g., 'that'/'these') versus bare determiners (e.g., 'the').
Main Results:
- Both groups showed sensitivity to non-local agreement violations via increased reading times.
- Determiner-number specification facilitated processing of number violations in acceptability judgments for both groups.
- Sensitivity to violations was stronger with demonstrative determiners than bare determiners.
Conclusions:
- Native and non-native speakers exhibit similar sensitivity to non-local agreement violations.
- Determiner-number specification aids in processing agreement violations, particularly in explicit judgment tasks.
- Findings challenge theories predicting fundamental qualitative differences in native and non-native language processing.
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