ERIC Number: EJ1004686
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Jan
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1366-7289
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Processing Empty Categories in a Second Language: When Naturalistic Exposure Fills the (Intermediate) Gap
Pliatsikas, Christos; Marinis, Theodoros
Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, v16 n1 p167-182 Jan 2013
An ongoing debate on second language (L2) processing revolves around whether or not L2 learners process syntactic information similarly to monolinguals (L1), and what factors lead to a native-like processing. According to the Shallow Structure Hypothesis (Clahsen & Felser, 2006a), L2 learners' processing does not include abstract syntactic features, such as intermediate gaps of wh-movement, but relies more on lexical/semantic information. Other researchers have suggested that naturalistic L2 exposure can lead to native-like processing (Dussias, 2003). This study investigates the effect of naturalistic exposure in processing wh-dependencies. Twenty-six advanced Greek learners of L2 English with an average nine years of naturalistic exposure, 30 with classroom exposure, and 30 native speakers of English completed a self-paced reading task with sentences involving intermediate gaps. L2 learners with naturalistic exposure showed evidence of native-like processing of the intermediate gaps, suggesting that linguistic immersion can lead to native-like abstract syntactic processing in the L2.
Descriptors: Syntax, Semantics, Native Speakers, Second Language Learning, Language Processing, Sentences, Native Language, Linguistic Theory, Greek, English (Second Language), Task Analysis
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
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Language: English
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