Final published version
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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Examining the contribution of markedness to the L2 processing of spanish person agreement
AU - Bañón, José Alemán
AU - Miller, David
AU - Rothman, Jason
N1 - Publisher Copyright: ©
PY - 2021/9/10
Y1 - 2021/9/10
N2 - We used event-related potentials to investigate how markedness impacts person agreement in English-speaking learners of L2-Spanish. Markedness was examined by probing agreement with both first-person (marked) and third-person (unmarked) subjects. Agreement was manipulated by crossing first-person subjects with third-person verbs and vice versa. Native speakers showed a P600 for both errors, larger for first-person subject + third-person verb violations. This aligns with claims that, when the first element in the dependency is marked (first person), the parser generates stronger predictions regarding upcoming agreeing elements using feature activation. Twenty-two upper-intermediate/advanced learners elicited a P600 across both errors. Learners were equally accurate detecting both errors, but the P600 was marginally reduced for first-person subject + third-person verb violations, suggesting that learners overused unmarked forms (third person) online. However, this asymmetry mainly characterized lower-proficiency learners. Results suggest that markedness impacts L2 agreement without constraining it, although learners are less likely to use marked features top-down.
AB - We used event-related potentials to investigate how markedness impacts person agreement in English-speaking learners of L2-Spanish. Markedness was examined by probing agreement with both first-person (marked) and third-person (unmarked) subjects. Agreement was manipulated by crossing first-person subjects with third-person verbs and vice versa. Native speakers showed a P600 for both errors, larger for first-person subject + third-person verb violations. This aligns with claims that, when the first element in the dependency is marked (first person), the parser generates stronger predictions regarding upcoming agreeing elements using feature activation. Twenty-two upper-intermediate/advanced learners elicited a P600 across both errors. Learners were equally accurate detecting both errors, but the P600 was marginally reduced for first-person subject + third-person verb violations, suggesting that learners overused unmarked forms (third person) online. However, this asymmetry mainly characterized lower-proficiency learners. Results suggest that markedness impacts L2 agreement without constraining it, although learners are less likely to use marked features top-down.
U2 - 10.1017/S0272263120000479
DO - 10.1017/S0272263120000479
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85095980124
VL - 43
SP - 699
EP - 728
JO - Studies in Second Language Acquisition
JF - Studies in Second Language Acquisition
SN - 0272-2631
IS - 4
ER -