Second language acquisition researchers often face particular challenges when attempting to generalize study findings the wider learner population. For example, learners constitute a heterogeneous group, and it is not always clear how study's may other individuals who differ in terms of background proficiency, among many factors. In this paper, we provide an overview mixed‐effects models can be used help overcome these issues field second acquisition. We benefits practical example analyses...

As in any field of scientific inquiry, advancements the second language acquisition (SLA) rely part on interpretation and generalizability study findings using quantitative data analysis inferential statistics. While statistical techniques such as ANOVA t-tests are widely used research, this review article provides a class newer models that have not yet been adopted field, but garnered interest other fields research. The called mixed-effects introduced, potential benefits these for...

A growing body of research has investigated bilingual sentence processing. How to account for differences in native (L1) and non-native (L2) processing is controversial. Some explain L1/L2 terms different parsing mechanisms, the hypothesis that L2 learners adopt ‘shallow’ received considerable attention. Others assume similar, capacity-based limitations being exceeded during More generally, role working memory plays language acquisition garnered increasing interest. Based on investigating...

ABSTRACT We report the results from two eye-movement monitoring experiments examining processing of reflexive pronouns by proficient German-speaking learners second language (L2) English. Our show that nonnative speakers initially tried to link English argument reflexives a discourse-prominent but structurally inaccessible antecedent, thereby violating binding condition A. native speaker controls, in contrast, showed evidence applying A immediately during processing. Together, our findings...

We report results from two eye-movement experiments that examined how differences in working memory (WM) capacity affect readers' application of structural constraints on reflexive anaphor resolution during sentence comprehension. whether binding Principle A, a syntactic constraint the interpretation reflexives, is reducible to friendly "recency" strategy, and WM influences degree which readers create anaphoric dependencies ruled out by theory. Our indicate low high span applied A early...

We report findings from psycholinguistic experiments investigating the detailed timing of processing morphologically complex words by proficient adult second (L2) language learners English in comparison to native (L1) speakers English. The first study employed masked priming technique investigate - ed forms with a group advanced Arabic-speaking results replicate previously found L1/L2 differences morphological priming, even though present experiment an extra temporal delay was offered after...

Using the eye-movement monitoring technique in two reading comprehension experiments, this study investigated timing of constraints on wh-dependencies (so-called island constraints) first- and second-language (L1 L2) sentence processing. The results show that both L1 L2 speakers English are sensitive to extraction islands during processing, suggesting memory storage limitations affect comprehenders essentially same way. Furthermore, these effects compared is affected differently by type cue...

In a visual world paradigm study, we manipulated gender congruence between subject pronoun and two antecedents to investigate whether second language (L2) learners with null first (L1) acquire process overt pronouns in nonnull L2 nativelike way. We also investigated speakers revise an initial interpretation assigned ambiguous when information the context subsequently biased against it. Our results indicated both L1 English Greek rapidly used guide resolution. Both groups preferentially...

The hypothesis that pronouns can be resolved via either the syntax or discourse representation has played an important role in linguistic accounts of pronoun interpretation (e.g. Grodzinsky & Reinhart, 1993). We report results eye-movement monitoring study investigating relative timing syntactically-mediated variable binding and discourse-based coreference assignment during resolution. examined whether ambiguous are preferentially route, particular tested should always computed before...

A number of recent studies have investigated how syntactic and non-syntactic constraints combine to cue memory retrieval during anaphora resolution. In this paper we investigate gender congruence interact guide the resolution subject pronouns. Subject pronouns are always technically ambiguous, application on their interpretation depends properties antecedent that is be retrieved. While can freely corefer with non-quantified referential antecedents, linking a pronoun quantified only possible...

The primary aim of my target article was to demonstrate how careful consideration the working memory operations that underlie successful language comprehension is crucial our understanding similarities and differences between native (L1) non-native (L2) sentence processing. My central claims were highly proficient L2 speakers construct similarly specified syntactic parses as L1 speakers, processing can be characterised in terms being more prone interference during retrieval operations. In...

This study examines the role of language dominance (LD) on linguistic competence outcomes in two types early bilinguals: (i) child L2 learners Catalan (L1 Spanish-L2 and, (ii) Spanish Catalan-L2 Spanish). Most studies typically focus development languages during childhood and either L1 or development. Typically, these are immersed second language. We capitalize unique situation Catalonia, testing both sets bilinguals, where is possible. examine co-occurrence Sentential Negation (SN) with a...

Abstract Research in sentence processing has increasingly examined the role of individual differences language comprehension. In work on native and nonnative processing, examining can contribute crucial insight into theoretical debates about extent to which nativelike is possible a language. Despite this increased interest differences, whether commonly used psycholinguistic tasks reliably measure between participants not been systematically examined. As preliminary examination issue we...

Agreement attraction, where ungrammatical sentences are perceived as grammatical (e.g., *The key to the cabinets were rusty), has been influential in motivating models of memory access during language comprehension. It is contested, however, whether such effects arise due a faulty representation relevant morphosyntactic features, or result retrieval. Existing studies agreement attraction comprehension have largely limited subject-verb number agreement, primarily English, and while other...

Abstract We report two offline and eye-movement experiments examining non-native (L2) sentence processing during after reanalysis of temporarily ambiguous sentences like “While Mary dressed the baby laughed happily”. Such cause at main clause verb (“laughed”), as noun phrase (“the baby”) may initially be misanalysed direct object subordinate (“dressed”). The revealed that L2ers have difficulty reanalysing with a greater persistence assigned misinterpretation than native (L1) speakers. In...

The mechanisms underlying native (L1) and non-native (L2) sentence processing have been widely debated. One account of potential L1/L2 differences is that L2 underuses syntactic information relies heavily on semantic surface cues. Recently, an alternative has proposed, which argues the source lies in how susceptible L1 speakers are to interference during memory retrieval operations. present study tested these two accounts by investigating filler-gap dependency formation susceptibility...

Abstract Native (L1) and nonnative (L2) speakers sometimes misinterpret temporarily ambiguous sentences like “When Mary dressed the baby laughed happily.” Recent studies suggest that initially assigned misinterpretation (“Mary baby”) may persist even after disambiguation, L2 have particular difficulty discarding initial misinterpretations. The present study investigated whether are more persistent with compared L1 during sentence processing, using structural priming eye tracking while...

Abstract Using both offline and online measures, the present study investigates attachment resolution in relative clauses English natives (L1) nonnatives (L2). We test how clause interacts with linguistic factors participant-level individual differences. Previous L1 studies have demonstrated a low preference also an “ambiguity advantage” suggesting that L1ers may not as strong is sometimes claimed. employ similar design to examine this effect L2 comprehension. Offline results indicate groups...