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Saccade target selection in L2 reading: Evidence from Chinese-English bilinguals
Xiaoxuan Li1, Longjiao Sui2, Jukka Hyönä3
1Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University.
Journal of Experimental Psychology. Learning, Memory, and Cognition
|January 15, 2026
Summary
Bilinguals reading in a second language (L2) use word-based strategies, with eye movements adapting to proficiency. As L2 skill grows, reliance on immediate processing for saccade target selection decreases.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Linguistics
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Saccade target selection in second-language (L2) reading is largely unstudied in cross-writing-system bilinguals.
- Previous research focused on bilinguals with similar writing systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate saccade target selection in Chinese-English bilinguals reading English.
- Examine how L2 proficiency influences reading strategies and eye movement control.
Main Methods:
- Study 1: Analyzed L2 reading data from Chinese-English bilinguals, examining preferred viewing location (PVL) curves and landing positions.
- Study 2: Employed a factorial experiment manipulating target word frequency, parafoveal information validity, and L2 proficiency.
Main Results:
- Both high- and low-proficiency bilinguals showed universal word-based strategies (e.g., central fixation), but PVL curves varied.
- Low-proficiency readers relied more on parafoveal information, exhibiting longer saccades for high-frequency words when information was valid.
- Increased L2 proficiency reduced this reliance, suggesting a shift towards more efficient processing.
Conclusions:
- Chinese-English bilinguals utilize both universal word-based and specific processing-based strategies in L2 reading.
- L2 reading strategies and eye movement control evolve with increasing L2 proficiency.
- Findings offer new insights into reading behavior in cross-writing-system bilinguals.
