L2 Korean Speakers’ Thematic Role Resolution in a Psych-predicate Construction

Abstract

This study investigated how second language (L2) and heritage Korean learners whose first language (L1) is English identify an ambiguous thematic role (experiencer vs. stimulus) of a null argument psych-predicate construction in Korean. Participants listened to stories where a null argument construction such as 'lwummeituka mwusewun ka poayo' (The roommate must be afraid of ∅ vs. The roommate must be scary) was disambiguated contextually with matching and mismatching prosodies and answered comprehension questions that asked to identify the thematic role of an overt NP. Advanced-level learners were more accurate and faster in identifying a stimulus, preferred Accentual Phrases that accompany the stimulus reading, and showed an interaction between thematic role and prosody. An independent analysis also showed that the preference for stimulus reading could be attributed to the advanced learners being heritage Korean speakers. Hypotheses on different roles of L1 and heritage grammar are discussed in light of the results.