Finger-tracking captures distinct cognitive signatures in L1 vs. L2 reading.

Area of Science:

• Psycholinguistics
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Computational Linguistics

Background:

• Real-time language comprehension relies on predictive and integrative mechanisms.
• Native (L1) and non-native (L2) language processing are central to psycholinguistic research.
• Existing methods like eye-tracking and ERPs offer insights, but fine-grained behavioral methods are limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• Introduce and validate a novel finger-tracking paradigm for capturing real-time reading behavior.
• Investigate differences in predictive and integrative processing between L1 and L2 readers.
• Analyze tracking speed at token and symbol levels to reveal temporal dynamics of language processing.

Main Methods:

• A finger-tracking paradigm was used with participants tracing sentences on a touchscreen.
• Two groups participated: native English speakers (L1) and upper-intermediate English L2 learners.
• Sentences included semantic/morphosyntactic violations or were well-formed controls.

Main Results:

• L1 readers were faster and showed quicker sensitivity to linguistic anomalies compared to L2 readers.
• L2 readers exhibited a more gradual sensitivity to violations, indicating different processing dynamics.
• Tracking speed modulation during violation processing differed significantly between L1 and L2 groups.

Conclusions:

• Finger-tracking is a sensitive behavioral method for studying real-time language processing.
• L1 reading involves rapid predictive mechanisms disrupted by violations.
• L2 reading is characterized by incremental integration and reduced anticipatory processing, showing distinct cognitive signatures.