L2 Processing Advantages of Multiword Sequences: Evidence from Eye-Tracking

• Elma Kerz ^[1] ; Arndt Heilmann ^[1] ; Stella Neumann ^[1]
  1. [1] Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University

     Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen University

     Städteregion Aachen, Alemania

     
• Localización: Joint Workshop on Multiword Expressions and WordNet (MWE-WN 2019): August 2, 2019 Florence, Italy: Proceedings of the Workshop / Agata Savary (ed. lit.), Carla Parra Escartín (ed. lit.), Francis Bond (ed. lit.), Jelena Mitrovic (ed. lit.), Verginica Barbu Mititelu (ed. lit.), 2019, ISBN 978-1-950737-26-0, págs. 60-69
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • A substantial body of research has demonstrated that native speakers are sensitive to the frequencies of multiword sequences (MWS). Here, we ask whether and to what extent intermediate-advanced L2 speakers of English can also develop the sensitivity to the statistics of MWS. To this end, we aimed to replicate the MWS frequency effects found for adult native language speakers based on evidence from self-paced reading and sentence recall tasks in an ecologically more valid eye-tracking study. L2 speakers’ sensitivity to MWS frequency was evaluated using generalized linear mixed-effects regression with separate models fitted for each of the four dependent measures. Mixed-effects modeling revealed significantly faster processing of sentences containing MWS compared to sentences containing equivalent control items across all eye- tracking measures. Taken together, these findings suggest that, in line with emergentist approaches, MWS are important building blocks of language and that similar mechanisms underlie both native and non-native language processing.