L1 – L2 semantic and syntactic processing: The influence of language proximity

Abstract

This study examined the extent to which a first language (L1) influences a second language (L2). We explored this potential influence by evaluating participant responses for semantic and syntactic word strings composed from the 1K British National Corpora word list. We investigated two different first language groups, and assessed their responses to semantic and syntactic judgement tasks in their L2 (English), alongside an English control group. The participants were L1 Japanese (n = 23), L1 Italic Indo-European (n = 25), and L1 English (n = 25). Each subject was asked to judge 60 semantic word strings, and 60 syntactic word strings. We then compared each of three groups for accuracy and response time, with the L1 English group acting as the control. Results indicated significant differences which we suggest might relate to L1 background influences. The L1 Japanese participants responded less accurately to semantic judgements compared to L1 Italic Indo-European counterparts, while there was no significant difference between the two L2 learner groups for syntactic accuracy. The L1 Japanese participants were also slower than their L1 Indo-European counterparts for both semantic and syntactic word strings. We discuss our findings in relation to recent bilingual models of lexical development.

Linguistic Effects on the Processing of Two-Digit Numbers

“…These findings may have some parallels with those of Booth, Clenton and Van Herwegen (2018), with regard to word order processing in a second language. Booth et al (2018) gave syntactic and semantic tasks involving English word strings to individuals who were learning English as a second language.…”

“…These findings may have some parallels with those of Booth, Clenton and Van Herwegen (2018), with regard to word order processing in a second language. Booth et al (2018) gave syntactic and semantic tasks involving English word strings to individuals who were learning English as a second language. One group came from Italic Indo-European language first language backgrounds (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Romanian) whose default word order is subject-verb-object, as is the case for English.…”

No escape from the island: On extraction from complement wh-clauses in English

“…It has also been argued that the expert intuitions on which syntactic theory is based are fl awed due to confi rmation bias (syntacticians presumably want the data to support their theory) (Dąbrowska 2010). It could also be that such intuitions are affected by knowledge of other languages (due to mere exposure to foreign languages or outright bilingualism) (Bohnacker 2006;Booth, Clenton & Van Herwegen 2018). In short, the question is whether we can be confi dent that there is an underlying universal constraint that results in the grammaticality judgements in (1), and if not, what about locality?…”

Qallunaat Learners of Inuktitut: A Qualitative Investigation of How and Why Non-Inuit Learn Inuktitut as a Second Language

“…Yet there appears to be a gap in the research concerning how and why Qallunaat learn Inuktitut. This is an important distinction to explore, since a LL's L1 has an effect on how easily they can learn an L2 from a different language family (Booth, Clenton & Van Herwegen, 2018). Almost no…”

“…Resources. Yet the disparity between L1 and L2 do seem to be an issue as well: Studies such as Booth, Clenton and Van Herwegen (2018) have shown that LLs with a large distance between L1 and L2 have a more difficult time learning semantics (the meaning of words) in their L2 compared to LLs with a small distance. However, both groups of learners (those with large and small distances between L1 and L2) learn other aspects of the L2 equally well (or poorly), such as the syntax.…”