Dynamic effect of context on processing L2 metaphors with varied conventionality: an ERP study

Abstract

The role of context in inferring the meaning of metaphors has been the focus of attention, yet it remains less clear how context takes effect in the online processing of L2 conventional and novel metaphors. We conducted a reading task, in which Chinese-English bilinguals were presented with conventional and novel metaphorical English sentences preceded by supportive or literal contexts, and were required to select an adjective matched with target sentences. We recorded EEG activity while participants read metaphorical sentences divided into three segments based on their syntactic structure (X IS Y). Results showed that novel metaphors in supportive contexts evoked an increased sustained negativity (600–800 ms) in the frontal region in the first two segments, a larger frontal N400 (350–450 ms) in the second and third segments, and a reduced late frontal positivity (550–800 ms) in the third segment than in literal contexts. These results showed that for novel metaphors, supportive context inhibits the early-stage lexical access but facilitates the late-stage integration of metaphorical meanings. However, no similar difference was observed for conventional metaphors, as their salient meanings could be directly accessed. This finding suggests that context plays a dynamic role in the time course of L2 metaphor processing, particularly for novel ones. In brief, this study reveals that metaphor conventionality can modulate the effect of context on L2 metaphor processing, thus complementing the debate over the role of context in L2 metaphor comprehension.