{"title":"Anticipatory processing of cataphora is constrained by binding principles in L2 English","authors":"Jun Lyu, Zuzanna Fuchs, Elsi Kaiser","doi":"10.1017/s1366728924000208","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Language processing studies show that native speakers anticipate linguistic elements before their occurrence. However, it is debated to what extent second language (L2) learners do the same. To address this question, this study examines the processing of cataphora by Chinese-speaking L2 English learners. Additionally, we query whether L2 learners’ expectations of upcoming antecedents are modulated by first language (L1) influence and constrained by Principle B of the Binding Theory (Chomsky, 1981). Two self-paced reading studies show that L1 English speakers’ anticipation of upcoming referents is active and strictly constrained by Principle B. Crucially, L2 English learners also actively predict upcoming referents and are sensitive to Principle B. However, L2 processing patterns suggest that Principle B competes with semantics at later processing stages. Together with data from L1 Chinese and English control participants, these results support the view that anticipatory processing in English is not fundamentally different between monolinguals and bilinguals.","PeriodicalId":8758,"journal":{"name":"Bilingualism: Language and Cognition","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.5000,"publicationDate":"2024-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Bilingualism: Language and Cognition","FirstCategoryId":"98","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1017/s1366728924000208","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"LINGUISTICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Language processing studies show that native speakers anticipate linguistic elements before their occurrence. However, it is debated to what extent second language (L2) learners do the same. To address this question, this study examines the processing of cataphora by Chinese-speaking L2 English learners. Additionally, we query whether L2 learners’ expectations of upcoming antecedents are modulated by first language (L1) influence and constrained by Principle B of the Binding Theory (Chomsky, 1981). Two self-paced reading studies show that L1 English speakers’ anticipation of upcoming referents is active and strictly constrained by Principle B. Crucially, L2 English learners also actively predict upcoming referents and are sensitive to Principle B. However, L2 processing patterns suggest that Principle B competes with semantics at later processing stages. Together with data from L1 Chinese and English control participants, these results support the view that anticipatory processing in English is not fundamentally different between monolinguals and bilinguals.
语言加工研究表明,母语使用者在语言要素出现之前就会对其进行预测。然而,对于第二语言(L2)学习者在多大程度上也能做到这一点却存在争议。为了解决这个问题,本研究考察了以汉语为母语的第二语言英语学习者对拟声词的处理。此外,我们还探究了第二语言学习者对即将出现的前置词的预期是否受到第一语言(L1)的影响和约束理论(乔姆斯基,1981 年)原则 B 的制约。两项自定进度的阅读研究表明,L1 英语学习者对即将出现的指代物的预期是积极的,并受到 B 原则的严格限制;关键的是,L2 英语学习者也积极预测即将出现的指代物,并对 B 原则敏感。这些结果与来自第一语言汉语和英语对照参与者的数据一起,支持了英语中的预测加工在单语者和双语者之间没有本质区别的观点。