Word order and context in sentence processing: evidence from L1 and L2 Russian

Area of Science:

• Linguistics
• Psycholinguistics
• Second Language Acquisition

Background:

• Understanding how non-native speakers process complex sentence structures is crucial for effective language pedagogy.
• Research on second language (L2) processing of varied word orders, especially within context, remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the processing of canonical (SVO) and non-canonical (OVS) Russian word orders by native (L1) Russian speakers and Mandarin Chinese learners (L2).
• To compare sentence processing in isolation versus within a one-sentence context, examining both syntactic and information-structural factors.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments were conducted: one with sentences in isolation and another with single-sentence contexts.
• Measures included online (reading times) and offline (question-answering accuracy, sentence ratings) data collection.
• Participants were native Russian speakers and Mandarin Chinese learners of Russian.

Main Results:

• L2 learners exhibited significant difficulty with non-canonical word orders, unlike L1 speakers.
• Both groups showed preferences for 'given-new' information structure, indicating universal processing principles.
• L1 speakers rated isolated non-canonical sentences lower, suggesting contextual reliance. L2 readers were less sensitive to subtle contextual cues.

Conclusions:

• L2 learners' difficulties with non-canonical word orders persist even with contextual support.
• Contextual factors influence sentence processing for both L1 and L2 speakers, but L2 learners require more explicit cues.
• Findings highlight the challenges in L2 acquisition of nuanced syntactic and information-structural processing.