Learning and Using Morphology and Morphosyntax in a Second Language

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laurie Beth Feldman ◽  
Judith F. Kroll
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Early Time ◽  
Morphological Processing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Bilingual Speakers ◽  
Linguistic Categories ◽  
Parallel Activation ◽  
High Degree

We summarize findings from across a range of methods, including behavioral measures of overall processing speed and accuracy, electrophysiological indices that tap into the early time course of language processing, and neural measures using structural and functional imaging. We argue that traditional claims about rigid constraints on the ability of late bilinguals to exploit the meaning and form of the morphology and morphosyntax in a second language should be revised so as to move away from all or none command of structures motivated from strict dichotomies among linguistic categories of morphology. We describe how the dynamics of morphological processing in neither monolingual or bilingual speakers is easily characterized in terms of the potential to decompose words into their constituent morphemes and that morphosyntactic processing is not easily characterized in terms of categories of structures that are learnable and those that are unlearnable by bilingual and nonnative speakers. Instead, we emphasize the high degree of variability across individuals and plasticity within individuals in their ability to successfully learn and use even subtle aspects of a second language. Further, both of the bilingual’s two languages become active when even one language is engaged, and parallel activation has consequences that shape both languages, thus their influence is not in the unidirectional manner that was traditionally assumed. We briefly discuss the nature of possible constraints and directions for future research.

Second language processing of English past tense morphology: The role of working memory

2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Filiz Rızaoğlu ◽  
Ayşe Gürel
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Masked Priming ◽  
Morphological Processing ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Past Tense ◽  
L2 Learners

AbstractThis study examines, via a masked priming task, the processing of English regular and irregular past tense morphology in proficient second language (L2) learners and native speakers in relation to working memory capacity (WMC), as measured by the Automated Reading Span (ARSPAN) and Operation Span (AOSPAN) tasks. The findings revealed quantitative group differences in the form of slower reaction times (RTs) in the L2-English group. While no correlation was found between the morphological processing patterns and WMC in either group, there was a negative relationship between English and Turkish ARSPAN scores and the speed of word recognition in the L2 group. Overall, comparable decompositional processing patterns found in both groups suggest that, like native speakers, high-proficiency L2 learners are sensitive to the morphological structure of the target language.

An ERP Study of Second Language Learning after Childhood: Effects of Proficiency

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (8) ◽  
pp. 1212-1228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiro Ojima ◽  
Hiroki Nakata ◽  
Ryusuke Kakigi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Syntactic Processing ◽  
Early Maturation ◽  
Period Effects ◽  
L2 Learning

Whether there is an absolute critical period for acquiring language is a matter of continuous debate. One approach to address this issue is to compare the processes of second language (L2) learning after childhood and those of first language (L1) learning during childhood. To study the cortical process of postchildhood L2 learning, we compared event-related brain potentials recorded from two groups of adult Japanese speakers who attained either high or intermediate proficiency in English after childhood (J-High and J-Low), and adult native English speakers (ENG). Semantic anomalies embedded in English sentences evoked a clear N400 component in all three groups, with only the time course of the brain activation varying among the groups. Syntactic violations elicited a left-lateralized negativity similar to the left anterior negativity in ENG and J-High, but not in J-Low. In ENG, a P600 component was additionally found. These results suggest that semantic processing is robust from early on in L2 learning, whereas the development of syntactic processing is more dependent on proficiency as evidenced by the lack of the left-lateralized negativity in J-Low. Because early maturation and stability of semantic processing as opposed to syntactic processing are also a feature of L1 processing, postchildhood L2 learning may be governed by the same brain properties as those which govern childhood L1 learning. We argue that these processes are qualitatively similar in many respects, with only restricted domains of language processing being subject to absolute critical period effects.

scholarly journals The Influence of Second Language Experience in the Pattern of Language Processing of the Bilingual Lexicon

MANUSYA ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-95
Author(s):  
P. Sudasna ◽  
S. Luksaneeyanawin ◽  
D. Burnham
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
English Language ◽  
First Language ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
High Group ◽  
Bilingual Lexicon ◽  
Bilingual Speakers ◽  
Word Forms ◽  
Thai English

The present experimental research studies whether Thai-English bilinguals’ language experience in their non-native language influences the pattern of language processing of the bilingual lexicon. Two groups of 100 native Thai bilingual speakers with high or low English language experience were asked to perform Stroop Interference Tasks, with the processing of word forms being either Thai or English and the processing in colour naming also being either Thai or English. The results showed that when the processing of word forms was in Thai, there was more intra- than interlingual interference, and that the degree of interference was equivalent between the two English experience groups. When the processing of word forms was in English, the high and the low groups showed more intra- than interlingual interference; however, the high group showed more interference than the low group did. The results provide evidence that the maximal interference occurs in the processing of the first language and the interference in the processing of the second language is proportional to L2 language experience. The results suggest that there is a relationship between language experience and language processing of the bilingual lexicon.

scholarly journals The Quest for Signals in Noise: Leveraging Experiential Variation to Identify Bilingual Phenotypes

Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 168
Author(s):  
Anne L. Beatty-Martínez ◽  
Debra A. Titone
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Systematic Variation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Multidimensional Construct ◽  
Bilingual Speakers ◽  
Performance Patterns

Increasing evidence suggests that bilingualism does not, in itself, result in a particular pattern of response, revealing instead a complex and multidimensional construct that is shaped by evolutionary and ecological sources of variability. Despite growing recognition of the need for a richer characterization of bilingual speakers and of the different contexts of language use, we understand relatively little about the boundary conditions of putative “bilingualism” effects. Here, we review recent findings that demonstrate how variability in the language experiences of bilingual speakers, and also in the ability of bilingual speakers to adapt to the distinct demands of different interactional contexts, impact interactions between language use, language processing, and cognitive control processes generally. Given these findings, our position is that systematic variation in bilingual language experience gives rise to a variety of phenotypes that have different patterns of associations across language processing and cognitive outcomes. The goal of this paper is thus to illustrate how focusing on systematic variation through the identification of bilingual phenotypes can provide crucial insights into a variety of performance patterns, in a manner that has implications for previous and future research.

Uses of Eye-Tracking Data in Second Language Sentence Processing Research

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 ◽  
pp. 149-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola E. Dussias
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Critical Question ◽  
The People ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Eye Movements During Reading

When hearing or reading words and sentences in a second language (L2), we face many uncertainties about how the people and objects referred to are connected to one another. So what do we do under these conditions of uncertainty? Because relatively proficient L2 speakers have access to the grammar and lexicon of each language when comprehending words and sentences or when planning spoken utterances, and because the recent research suggests that these linguistic systems are not entirely independent, there is a critical question about how the knowledge of two languages affects basic aspects of language processing. In this article, I review how eye-tracking methodology has been used as a tool to address this question. I begin by discussing why eye movements are a useful methodology in language processing research, and I provide a description of one experimental paradigm developed to explore eye movements during reading. Second, I present recent developments in the use of eye tracking to study L2 spoken-language comprehension. I also highlight the importance of using multiple measures of online sentence processing by discussing results obtained using a moving window task and eye-tracking records while L2 speakers read syntactically ambiguous relative clauses. Next, I discuss research investigating syntactic processing when L2 speakers process mixed language. I end with suggestions for future research directions.

scholarly journals Sentence Processing in Monolingual and Bilingual Speakers

Linguistics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paola E. Dussias ◽  
Anne L. Beatty-Martínez ◽  
Michael A. Johns ◽  
Manuel F. Pulido
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
First Language ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Great Promise ◽  
Bilingual Speakers ◽  
Related Potentials

The main goal of monolingual models of sentence processing is to explain how the syntactic processor (or parser) assigns structure to an incoming string of words. The theoretical divide in the field has been about whether the architecture and mechanisms of the human sentence processor are modular—and computations are carried out serially—or whether it is interactive and computations are carried out in parallel. The debate about bilingual sentence processing has, instead, focused on whether bilingual speakers process their second language in a manner similar to monolingual speakers of the target language. Proposals rooted in generative approaches to language acquisition argue that adult second language (L2) learners lack access to the universal principles or the ability to reset parameters that guide language acquisition and language processing in their L2. Models grounded in neurocognitive approaches to memory hold that late bilinguals recruit different memory systems compared to native speakers of the target language. Other models have argued that differences in first and second language processing result largely from capacity differences, differences in susceptibility to interference, or lack of predictive ability. More recently, several studies have turned toward more experience-driven accounts, eschewing the earlier assumption that the first language is static and unchanging, and instead focusing on the interactive and interconnected nature of the bilingual linguistic system. These studies have revealed that not only does the first language (L1) affect L2 syntactic processing, but experience with the L2 can have ramifications for processing in the native language. A range of experimental techniques are employed to investigate how monolingual and bilingual speakers process language at the sentence level. Eye-tracking techniques allow measurement of responses, such as eye movements and pupil dilation, to study written and auditory language processing. Such measures permit insight into the cognitive processes that are engaged when individuals read written text or inspect visual scenes. Electrophysiological measures are particularly helpful for understanding the time course of neural activity associated with language and cognitive processes. Event-related potentials (ERPs) are obtained by recording and averaging across brain potentials associated with time-locked events (e.g., a word in a sentence). Electrophysiological measures are used to determine which stages of processing are affected by the experimental manipulation. Neuroimaging provides information about changes in brain structure and function. For example, the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technique can be used to visualize which brain regions are engaged in processing a particular type of sentence. Although neuroimaging is a relatively-new methodology, it holds great promise for increasing our understanding of the dynamic processes in the brain related to language. The writing of this bibliography was supported in part by National Science Foundation (NSF) grant BCS-1535124 and OISE 1545900 to Paola E. Dussias.

scholarly journals Facilitating the task for second language processing research: A comparison of two testing paradigms

2013 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 613-637 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. KATE MILLER
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Learners ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Second Language Processing ◽  
Advanced Learners ◽  
Probe Classification

ABSTRACTThis study considers the effects of experimental task demands in research on second language sentence processing. Advanced learners and native speakers of French were presented with the same experimental sentences in two different tasks designed to probe for evidence of trace reactivation during processing: cross-modal priming (Nicol & Swinney, 1989) and probe classification during reading (Dekydtspotter, Miller, Schaefer, Chang, & Kim, 2010). Although the second language learners produced nontargetlike results on the cross-modal priming task, the probe classification during reading task revealed results suggestive of trace reactivation, which point to detailed structural representations during online sentence processing. The implications for current theories of second language sentence processing and for future research in this domain are discussed.

Oscillatory brain dynamics of pronoun processing in native Spanish speakers and in late second language learners of Spanish

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 964-977
Author(s):  
Eleonora Rossi ◽  
Yanina Prystauka
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Spanish Speakers ◽  
Cell Assembly ◽  
Native Spanish Speakers ◽  
Time Frequency ◽  
L2 Processing ◽  
L2 Learners

AbstractA longstanding question in the second language acquisition literature is whether late second language (L2) learners process grammatical structures in a native-like manner. Here, we use Time Frequency Representation (TFR) analysis to test morpho-syntactic processing of clitic pronouns in native and late L2 learners of Spanish. The TFR results show overall similar power decreases in theta, alpha, and beta frequencies in both groups. Critically, the observed oscillatory effects persisted in time for native Spanish speakers, but declined earlier for L2 learners. We discuss the results using cell-assembly theory models for language processing (e.g., Pulvermüller, 1999) that posit a biphasic time-course for neural assemblies consisting of an early ignition (recognition) and a later reverberation (re-processing) phase. We propose a working hypothesis for L2 processing in tune with a cell-assembly theory suggesting that the length of the reverberation phase could be a distinguishing feature between native and L2 processing.

scholarly journals Neurolinguistics

2006 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-65
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Experimental Psychology ◽  
Brain Research ◽  
Rapid Change ◽  
Morphological Processing ◽  
Nature Publishing Group ◽  
Boston College ◽  
Cognitive Brain Research ◽  
Publishing Group

06–194Altarriba, Jeanette & Jennifer L. Gianico (U Albany, State U New York, USA), Lexical ambiguity resolution across languages: A theoretical and empirical review. Experimental Psychology (Hogrefe & Huber Publishers) 50.3 (2003), 159–170.06–195Bialystok, Ellen (York U, Canada; [email protected]) & Dana Shapero, Ambiguous benefits: The effect of bilingualism on reversing ambiguous figures. Developmental Science (Blackwell) 8.6 (2005), 595.06–196Blot, J. Kevin (Clark U & Boston College, USA), Michael A. Zaraté & Paul B. Paulus, Code-switching across brainstorming sessions: Implications for the revised hierarchical model of bilingual language processing. Experimental Psychology (Hogrefe & Huber Publishers) 50.3 (2003), 171–183.06–197Costa, Albert (U Barcelona, Spain; [email protected]), Mikel Santesteban & Agnès Caño, On the facilitatory effects of cognate words in bilingual speech production. Brain and Language (Elsevier) 94.1 (2005), 94–103.06–198De Diego Balaguer, R. (Faculté de Médecine, Paris XII, France), N. Sebastián-Gallés, B. Díaz & A. Rodríguez-Fornells, Morphological processing in early bilinguals: An ERP study of regular and irregular verb processing. Cognitive Brain Research (Elsevier) 25.1 (2005), 312–327.06–199Elston-Güttler, Kerrie E. (Max Planck Institute of Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany; [email protected]) & Angela D. Friederici, Native and L2 processing of homonyms in sentential context. Journal of Memory and Language (Elsevier) 52.2 (2005), 256–283.06–200Luka, Barbara J. (Bard College, USA; [email protected]) & Lawrence W. Barsalou, Structural facilitation: Mere exposure effects for grammatical acceptability as evidence for syntactic priming in comprehension. Journal of Memory and Language (Elsevier) 52.3 (2005), 436–459.06–201McLaughlin, Judith (U Washington, USA; [email protected]), Lee Osterhout & Albert Kim, Neural correlates of second- language word learning: Minimal instruction produces rapid change. Nature Neuroscience (Nature Publishing Group) 7 (2004), 703–704.06–202Mechelli, Andrea (Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, U London, UK; [email protected]), Jenny T. Crinion, Uta Noppeney, John O'Doherty, John Ashburner, Richard S. Frackowiak & Cathy J. Price, Neurolinguistics: Structural plasticity in the bilingual brain. Nature (Nature Publishing Group) 431.757 (2004), 256–283.06–203Meijer, Paul J. A. (Clark U & Boston College, USA) & Jean E. Fox Tree, Building syntactic structures in speaking: A bilingual exploration. Experimental Psychology (Hogrefe & Huber Publishers) 50.3 (2003), 184–195.06–204Moreno, Eva M. (U Califonia, USA; [email protected]) & Marta Kutas, Processing semantic anomalies in two languages: An electrophysiological exploration in both languages of Spanish–English bilinguals. Cognitive Brain Research (Elsevier) 22.2 (2005), 205–220.06–205Pallier, C. (Service Hospitalier Fredrik Joliot, Orsay, France; [email protected]), S. Dehaene, J.-B. Poline, D. Lebihan, A.-M. Argenti, E. Dupoux & J. Mehler, Brain imaging of language plasticity in adopted adults: Can a second language replace the first?Cerebral Cortex (Oxford University Press) 13.2 (2003), 155–161.06–206Reiterer, Susanne (U Vienna, Austria; [email protected]), Claudia Hemmelmann, Peter Rappelsberger & Michael L. Berger, Characteristic functional networks in high- versus low-proficiency second-language speakers detected also during native language processing: An explorative EEG coherence study in 6 frequency bands. Cognitive Brain Research (Elsevier) 25.2 (2005), 566–578.06–207Tham, Wendy W. P. (Nanyang Technological U, Singapore), Susan J. Rickard Liow, Jagath C. Rajapakse, Tan Choong Leong, Samuel E. S. Ng, Winston E. H. Lim & Lynn G. Homoreno, Phonological processing in Chinese–English bilingual biscriptals: An fMRI study. Neuroimage (Elsevier) 28.3 (2005), 579–587.

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