scholarly journals Masked morphological priming tracks the development of a fully mature lexical system in L2

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva Viviani ◽  
Davide Crepaldi
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Masked Priming ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Priming Task ◽  
Morphological Priming ◽  
Visual Word Identification ◽  
Orthographic Priming ◽  
The Relationship

Visual word identification is based on an early morphological analysis in one’s native language; how these mechanisms apply to a second language is much less clear. We recruited L1 Italian–L2 English speakers in a masked priming task where the relationship between prime and target was morphologically transparent, e.g., employer–EMPLOY, morphologically opaque, e.g., corner-CORN, or merely orthographic, e.g., brothel–BROTH. Critically, participants underwent a thorough testing of their lexical, morphological, phonological, spelling and semantic proficiency in their second language. By exploring a wide spectrum of L2 proficiency, we showed that this factor critically qualifies L2 priming. Genuine morphological facilitation only arises as proficiency grows; and opaque and orthographic priming shrink as L2 competence increases. Age of acquisition was also evaluated, and did not affect the priming pattern. Furthermore, we showed that L2 priming is modulated by sensitivity to probabilistic relationships between form and meaning. Overall, these data illustrate the trajectory towards a fully consolidated L2 lexicon, and show that masked priming is a key tracker of this process.

Explicit and implicit semantic processing of verb–particle constructions by French–English bilinguals

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 829-846 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARY-JANE BLAIS ◽  
LAURA M. GONNERMAN
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Semantic Processing ◽  
English Proficiency ◽  
Masked Priming ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Response Latencies ◽  
Priming Task ◽  
Similarity Ratings ◽  
Verb Particle Constructions ◽  
Particle Verb

Verb–particle constructions are a notoriously difficult aspect of English to acquire for second-language (L2) learners. The present study investigated whether L2 English speakers are sensitive to gradations in semantic transparency of verb–particle constructions (e.g.,finish upvs.chew out). French–English bilingual participants (first language: French, second language: English) completed an off-line similarity ratings survey, as well as an on-line masked priming task. Results of the survey showed that bilinguals’ similarity ratings became more native-like as their English proficiency levels increased. Results from the masked priming task showed that response latencies from high, but not low-proficiency bilinguals were similar to those of monolinguals, with mid- and high-similarity verb–particle/verb pairs (e.g.,finish up/finish) producing greater priming than low-similarity pairs (e.g.,chew out/chew). Taken together, the results suggest that L2 English speakers develop both explicit and implicit understanding of the semantic properties of verb–particle constructions, which approximates the sensitivity of native speakers as English proficiency increases.

scholarly journals Morphological priming of inflectional suffixes

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Marjanovic ◽  
Davide Crepaldi
Keyword(s):  
Priming Effect ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Masked Priming ◽  
Visual Word ◽  
Priming Paradigm ◽  
Morphological Priming ◽  
Visual Word Identification ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Complex Words

Morphologically complex words are processed through their constituent morphemes during visual word recognition. While this has been primarily established through the stem priming paradigm, the role of shared affixes is more controversial. Also, most evidence on affix priming comes from derivation, while inflectional priming remains largely unaddressed. Here we present two lexical decision, masked priming experiments filling this gap. Taking advantage of the rich inflectional pattern of Slovene, we assessed inflectional suffix priming (mestam–HALJAM), and compared it to the well-established stem priming effect (haljov–HALJAM): while the latter is solid as expected, the former seems to be weak to non–existing. Results further indicate that there is no interaction between sharing a stem and sharing an inflectional suffix—neither stem nor suffix priming is boosted when primes and targets also share the other morpheme. These data indicate an important difference between stems, derivational affixes and inflectional affixes, which we consider in the context of models of visual word identification and information theory.

Morphological decomposition in native and non-native French speakers

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 524-542 ◽  
Author(s):  
CAITLIN E. COUGHLIN ◽  
ANNIE TREMBLAY
Keyword(s):  
Native Speakers ◽  
Naming Task ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
Masked Priming ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Morphological Priming ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Complex Words ◽  
Orthographic Priming ◽  
Prime Target

This study investigates whether late second/foreign language (L2) learners can rely on mechanisms similar to those of native speakers for processing morphologically complex words. Specifically, it examines whether native English speakers who have begun learning French around the onset of puberty can decompose -er (Class I) French verbs. Mid-to-high-proficiency L2 learners and native French speakers completed a masked-priming word-naming task. Latencies for morphologically related, orthographically related, and semantically related prime–target combinations were compared to latencies for identical and unrelated prime–target combinations. The results reveal the following effects: full morphological priming for both native and non-native speakers, with this effect increasing with French proficiency for L2 learners; partial orthographic priming for both groups; greater priming in the morphological condition than in the orthographic condition for both groups; and no semantic priming for either group. We conclude that L2 learners have access to similar mechanisms to those of native speakers for processing morphologically complex words.

scholarly journals Semantic and morphological cross-word priming during sentence reading

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Marjanovic ◽  
Davide Crepaldi
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movement ◽  
Semantic Priming ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Morphological Processing ◽  
Sentence Reading ◽  
Word Priming ◽  
Morphological Priming ◽  
Visual Word Identification ◽  
Text Reading ◽  
Per Se

Our current understanding of visual word identification is difficult to extend to text reading—both experiments and theories focus primarily, if not exclusively, on out-of-context individual words. Here, we try to fill this gap by studying cross-word semantic and morphological priming within sentences in a natural reading, eye tracking experiment. We find that words are skipped more when they are preceded in the sentence by semantically related primes. Also, cross-word semantic priming manifests itself in later (e.g., gaze duration), but not in earlier (e.g., first-of-many fixations) indexes of eye movement on the target words. We also find that semantic priming is not modulated by the morphological agreement between primes and targets; and that morphological agreement does not yield any priming per se. These results point to independent lexical-semantic and morphological processing during sentence reading, and suggest cross-word reset for the latter, but not for the former.

scholarly journals Dissociating morphological and form priming with novel complex word primes

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 413-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Fiorentino ◽  
Stephen Politzer-Ahles ◽  
Natalie S. Pak ◽  
María Teresa Martínez-García ◽  
Caitlin Coughlin
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Masked Priming ◽  
Priming Effects ◽  
Lexical Status ◽  
Morphological Priming ◽  
Novel Complex ◽  
Complex Words ◽  
Orthographic Priming

Recent research suggests that visually-presented words are initially morphologically segmented whenever the letter-string can be exhaustively assigned to existing morphological representations, but not when an exhaustive parse is unavailable; e.g., priming is observed for both hunter → HUNT and brother → BROTH, but not for brothel → BROTH. Few studies have investigated whether this pattern extends to novel complex words, and the results to date (all from novel suffixed words) are mixed. In the current study, we examine whether novel compounds (drugrack → RACK) yield morphological priming which is dissociable from that in novel pseudoembedded words (slegrack → RACK). Using masked priming, we find significant and comparable priming in reaction times for word-final elements of both novel compounds and novel pseudoembedded words. Using overt priming, however, we find greater priming effects (in both reaction times and N400 amplitudes) for novel compounds compared to novel pseudoembedded words. These results are consistent with models assuming across-the-board activation of putative constituents, while also suggesting that morpheme activation may persevere despite the lack of an exhaustive morpheme-based parse when an exhaustive monomorphemic analysis is also unavailable. These findings highlight the critical role of the lexical status of the pseudoembedded prime in dissociating morphological and orthographic priming.

scholarly journals Can Language Direct Speakers' Attention in Causal Events?: An Empirical Study between Japanese and English Speakers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yukiko Obata
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Empirical Study ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Japanese Speakers ◽  
Language Effects ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Causal Event

This thesis sheds lights on the relationship between descriptions of causal events and their effects on speakers’ memory. English and Japanese are similar in that speakers can use the same constructions when describing intentional events – both comfortably use transitive sentences. However, they are different when describing non-intentional events. English speakers can use the same construction as intentional events, while Japanese speakers prefer to mark that the event is accidental. They tend to add accidental markers to cancel the agent’s intention frequently. In Experiment 1, I confirm differences in describing causal events between these two languages. Then, Japanese speakers are expected to remember event nature (i.e., intentional or non-intentional) more accurately than English speakers. However, Experiment 2 fails to support the hypothesis. I present two possible reasons why language effects are not observed. First, marking non-intentionality is not obligatory but only preferred by Japanese speakers. Thus, language effects are not strong enough to affect speakers’ memory. Second, language does not affect speakers’ memory, especially in causal-event descriptions, even though it does in other domains, such as color terminology.

scholarly journals Cut-offs and Gestures: Analytical Tools to Understand a Second Language Speaker

10.29007/tb8k ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renia Lopez-Ozieblo
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Mother Tongue ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Communicative Process ◽  
Hong Kong Students ◽  
Analytical Tools ◽  
The Relationship

This paper will focus on one specific type of disfluency (speech less than fluent), that is, interruptions or cut-offs. The research on cut-offs has led to various hypotheses explaining how cut-offs are processed: Seyfeddinipur, Kita & Indefrey (2008) suggested that the cut-off is a controlled action and so on detecting the trouble the stop might be postponed, if necessary, to allow time for the resumption process; Tydgat, Stevens, Hartsuiker and Pickering (2011) added that the stopping and resumption processes are likely to occur concurrently and share the same resources. Therefore, the speaker has to decide whether it is more effective to stop and, if so, where.In Second Language Acquisition (SLA) error has been the topic of much discussion. However, disfluencies have surprisingly aroused less interest. SLA usually takes the view that any repair following a disfluency is the consequence of linguistic difficulties (usually grammar or vocabulary). However, like among native speakers, there are more reasons for disfluency and repair than just linguistic difficulties.A tool to aid disfluency analysis is that of the gesture performed together with speech. McNeill’s gesture theory holds that gesture and speech are two modalities of the same communicative process and that as such should be analysed together (2012). Therefore, the gesture might provide additional analytical information to the observer.The objective of this study was to investigate the nature of cut-offs in speakers using their mother tongue and also a second language. As our specific interest is the acquisition of Spanish by English speakers, our results are based on data from 8 participants, 4 Spanish native speakers and 4 Hong Kong students of Spanish as a foreign language (L2). Our results, based on a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis, indicate that cut-offs, and the gestures associated with them, are used similarly by native speakers of both English and Spanish, including the relationship between the cut-off and the repair or its absence and the gesture. However, the L2 results are very different, showing a significant increase of within-word cut-offs in Hong Kong participants and a decrease among Spanish native speakers. We observed differences in the length and number of pauses after the cut-offs, as well as differences as to the point at which the cut-off occurred in the word. This paper will provide explanations as to the differences observed as well as providing evidence to support some of the existing hypotheses on cut-off production and gesture-speech relationships.

scholarly journals Can Language Direct Speakers' Attention in Causal Events?: An Empirical Study between Japanese and English Speakers

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yukiko Obata
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Empirical Study ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Japanese Speakers ◽  
Language Effects ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Causal Event

This thesis sheds lights on the relationship between descriptions of causal events and their effects on speakers’ memory. English and Japanese are similar in that speakers can use the same constructions when describing intentional events – both comfortably use transitive sentences. However, they are different when describing non-intentional events. English speakers can use the same construction as intentional events, while Japanese speakers prefer to mark that the event is accidental. They tend to add accidental markers to cancel the agent’s intention frequently. In Experiment 1, I confirm differences in describing causal events between these two languages. Then, Japanese speakers are expected to remember event nature (i.e., intentional or non-intentional) more accurately than English speakers. However, Experiment 2 fails to support the hypothesis. I present two possible reasons why language effects are not observed. First, marking non-intentionality is not obligatory but only preferred by Japanese speakers. Thus, language effects are not strong enough to affect speakers’ memory. Second, language does not affect speakers’ memory, especially in causal-event descriptions, even though it does in other domains, such as color terminology.

scholarly journals Letter chunk frequency does not explain morphological masked priming

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara De Rosa ◽  
Davide Crepaldi
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Masked Priming ◽  
Visual Word ◽  
System Sensitivity ◽  
Early Visual Processing ◽  
Morphological Status ◽  
Visual Word Identification ◽  
Rule Out

Research on visual word identification has extensively investigated the role of morphemes, recurrent letter chunks that convey a fairly regular meaning (e.g.,lead-er-ship). Masked priming studies highlighted morpheme identification in complex (e.g., sing-er) and pseudo-complex (corn-er) words, as well as in nonwords (e.g., basket-y). The present study investigated whether such sensitivity to morphemes could be rooted in the visual system sensitivity to statistics of letter (co)occurrence. To this aim, we assessed masked priming as induced by nonword primes obtained by combining a stem (e.g.,bulb) with (i) naturally frequent, derivational suffixes (e.g.,-ment), (ii) non-morphological, equally frequent word endings (e.g.,-idge), and (iii) non-morphological, infrequent word endings (e.g.,-kle). In two additional tasks, we collected interpretability and word-likeness measures for morphologically-structured nonwords, to assess whether priming is modulated by such factors. Results indicate that masked priming is not affected by either the frequency or the morphological status of word endings. Our findings are in line with models of early visual processing based on automatic stem/word extraction, and rule out letter chunk frequency as a main player in the early stages of visual word identification. Nonword interpretability and word-likeness do not affect this pattern.

scholarly journals Letter chunk frequency does not explain morphological masked priming

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mara De Rosa ◽  
Davide Crepaldi
Keyword(s):  
Visual Processing ◽  
Word Identification ◽  
Masked Priming ◽  
Visual Word ◽  
System Sensitivity ◽  
Early Visual Processing ◽  
Morphological Status ◽  
Visual Word Identification ◽  
Rule Out

AbstractResearch on visual word identification has extensively investigated the role of morphemes, recurrent letter chunks that convey a fairly regular meaning (e.g., lead-er-ship). Masked priming studies highlighted morpheme identification in complex (e.g., sing-er) and pseudo-complex (corn-er) words, as well as in nonwords (e.g., basket-y). The present study investigated whether such sensitivity to morphemes could be rooted in the visual system sensitivity to statistics of letter (co)occurrence. To this aim, we assessed masked priming as induced by nonword primes obtained by combining a stem (e.g., bulb) with (i) naturally frequent, derivational suffixes (e.g., -ment), (ii) non-morphological, equally frequent word-endings (e.g., -idge), and (iii) non-morphological, infrequent word-endings (e.g., -kle). In two additional tasks, we collected interpretability and word-likeness measures for morphologically-structured nonwords, to assess whether priming is modulated by such factors. Results indicate that masked priming is not affected by either the frequency or the morphological status of word-endings, a pattern that was replicated in a second experiment including also lexical primes. Our findings are in line with models of early visual processing based on automatic stem/word extraction, and rule out letter chunk frequency as a main player in the early stages of visual word identification. Nonword interpretability and word-likeness do not affect this pattern.

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