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Language background affects word order processing in a second language online but not offline

Andersson, Annika LU ; Sayehli, Susan and Gullberg, Marianne LU orcid (2019) In Bilingualism: Language and Cognition 22(4). p.802-825
Abstract
This study examines possible crosslinguistic influence on basic word order processing in a second language (L2). Targeting Swedish V2 word order we investigate adult German learners (+V2 in the L1) and English learners (-V2 in the L1) of Swedish who are matched for proficiency. We report results from two offline behavioural tasks (written production, metalinguistic judgements), and online processing as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). All groups showed sensitivity to word order violations behaviourally and neurocognitively. Behaviourally, the learners differed from the native speakers only on judgements. Crucially, they did not differ from each other. Neurocognitively, all groups showed a similar increased centro-parietal P600... (More)
This study examines possible crosslinguistic influence on basic word order processing in a second language (L2). Targeting Swedish V2 word order we investigate adult German learners (+V2 in the L1) and English learners (-V2 in the L1) of Swedish who are matched for proficiency. We report results from two offline behavioural tasks (written production, metalinguistic judgements), and online processing as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). All groups showed sensitivity to word order violations behaviourally and neurocognitively. Behaviourally, the learners differed from the native speakers only on judgements. Crucially, they did not differ from each other. Neurocognitively, all groups showed a similar increased centro-parietal P600 ERP-effect, but German learners (+V2) displayed more nativelike anterior ERP-effects than English learners (-V2). The results suggest crosslinguistic influence in that the presence of a similar word order in the L1 can facilitate online processing in an L2 – even if no offline behavioural effects are discerned. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
second language acquision, cross-linguistic influence, word order, ERP, German, English, Swedish
in
Bilingualism: Language and Cognition
volume
22
issue
4
pages
24 pages
publisher
Cambridge University Press
external identifiers
  • scopus:85049552200
ISSN
1366-7289
DOI
10.1017/S1366728918000573
project
Swedish word order processing in second language learners and native speakers: A psycholinguistic and neurocognitive approach (SWOP2)
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
64c963ec-742c-4cad-8b4f-e20744604a64
date added to LUP
2018-03-18 18:16:20
date last changed
2023-12-02 03:19:39
@article{64c963ec-742c-4cad-8b4f-e20744604a64,
  abstract     = {{This study examines possible crosslinguistic influence on basic word order processing in a second language (L2). Targeting Swedish V2 word order we investigate adult German learners (+V2 in the L1) and English learners (-V2 in the L1) of Swedish who are matched for proficiency. We report results from two offline behavioural tasks (written production, metalinguistic judgements), and online processing as measured by event-related potentials (ERPs). All groups showed sensitivity to word order violations behaviourally and neurocognitively. Behaviourally, the learners differed from the native speakers only on judgements. Crucially, they did not differ from each other. Neurocognitively, all groups showed a similar increased centro-parietal P600 ERP-effect, but German learners (+V2) displayed more nativelike anterior ERP-effects than English learners (-V2). The results suggest crosslinguistic influence in that the presence of a similar word order in the L1 can facilitate online processing in an L2 – even if no offline behavioural effects are discerned.}},
  author       = {{Andersson, Annika and Sayehli, Susan and Gullberg, Marianne}},
  issn         = {{1366-7289}},
  keywords     = {{second language acquision; cross-linguistic influence; word order; ERP; German; English; Swedish}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{802--825}},
  publisher    = {{Cambridge University Press}},
  series       = {{Bilingualism: Language and Cognition}},
  title        = {{Language background affects word order processing in a second language online but not offline}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1366728918000573}},
  doi          = {{10.1017/S1366728918000573}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}