Table Of ContentSECOND LANGUAGE
PROCESSING
Second Language Processing: An Introduction is the fi rst textbook to offer a
thorough introduction to the fi eld of second language processing (SLP).
The study of SLP seeks to illuminate the cognitive processes underlying the
processing of a non-native language. While current literature tends to focus
on one topic or area of research, this textbook aims to bring these different
research strands together in a single volume, elucidating their particularities
while also demonstrating the relationships between them. The book begins
by outlining what is entailed in the study of SLP, how it relates to other
fi elds of study, and some of the main issues shared across its subareas. It then
moves into an exploration of the three major areas of current research in the
fi eld—phonological processing, lexical processing, and sentence processing.
Each chapter provides a broad overview of the topic and covers the major
research methods, models, and studies germane to that area of study. Ideal
for students and researchers working in this growing fi eld, Second Language
Processing will serve as the go-to guide for a complete examination of the
major topics of study in SLP.
Nan Jiang is Associate Professor of Second Language Acquisition at the
University of Maryland, USA. He is the author of Conducting Reaction
Time Research in Second Language Studies (2012) and numerous articles in
leading journals of applied linguistics, second language acquisition, and
psycholinguistics.
Second Language Acquisition Research Series
Susan M. Gass and Alison Mackey, Series Editors
Recent Monographs on Theoretical Issues
Dörnyei / Ryan The Psychology of the Language Learner—Revisited (2015)
Kormos The Second Language Learning Processes of Students with Specifi c
Learning Diffi culties (2017)
Gass/Spinner/Behney Salience in Second Language Acquisition (2018)
Jiang Second Language Processing: An Introduction (2018)
Recent Monographs on Research Methodology
Tomlinson SLA Research and Materials Development for Language
Learning (2016)
Gass/Mackey Stimulated Recall Methodology in Applied Linguistics and
L2 Research, Second Edition (2017)
Polio/Friedman Understanding, Evaluating, and Conducting Second Language
Writing Research (2017)
Kormos The Second Language Learning Processes of Students with Specifi c
Learning Diffi culties (2017)
Of Related Interest
Gass/Behney/Plonsky Second Language Acquisition: An Introductory Course,
Fourth Edition (2013)
Mackey/Gass Second Language Research: Methodology and Design, Second
Edition (2016)
To view all of the books in this series, please visit:
www.routledge.com/Second-Language-Acquisition-Research-Series/
book-series/LEASLARS
SECOND LANGUAGE
PROCESSING
An Introduction
Nan Jiang
First published 2018
by Routledge
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and by Routledge
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Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2018 Taylor & Francis
The right of Nan Jiang to be identifi ed as author of this work has been
asserted by him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright,
Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced
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the publisher of any errors or omissions, and these will be corrected in
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Trademark notice : Product or corporate names may be trademarks
or registered trademarks, and are used only for identifi cation and
explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Jiang, Nan, 1959– author.
Title: Second language processing : an introduction / Nan Jiang.
Description: New York, NY : Routledge, [2018] | Series: Second language
acquisition research series | Includes bibliographical references and
index.
Identifi ers: LCCN 2017051919 | ISBN 9780415708036 (hardback) |
ISBN 9780415708043 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781134608324 (epub) |
ISBN 9781134608393 (mobipocket/kindle)
Subjects: LCSH: Language and languages—Study and teaching—
Psychological aspects. | Cognitive grammar—Psychological aspects. |
Second language acquisition. | Education, Bilingual.
Classifi cation: LCC P53.7 .J43 2018 | DDC 401/.93—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017051919
ISBN: 978-0-415-70803-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-415-70804-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-315-88633-6 (ebk)
Typeset in Goudy
by Apex CoVantage, LLC
CONTENTS
Illustrations x
Preface xii
Abbreviations xv
1 Introducing Second Language Processing 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Characterizing SLP Research 3
1.2.1 A Cognitive Focus 3
1.2.2 A Broader Scope Than L1 Psycholinguistics 4
1.2.3 From Processing Data to Representation and
Acquisition Issues 5
1.2.4 An Experimental Approach That Emphasizes
Vigorous Variable Manipulation and Control 8
1.3 Recurrent Themes in SLP Research 12
1.3.1 The Acquirability of a Non-Native Language 13
1.3.2 L1–L2 Interaction 17
1.3.3 Documenting and Explaining Age Effects 19
1.4 Conclusion 24
2 Phonological Processing in L2: Concepts, Methods,
and Models 33
2.1 Introduction 33
2.2 Speech Production and Acoustic Cues 33
2.3 Cross-Linguistic Differences in Sound Systems 38
2.3.1 The Sound Inventory and Acoustic Details 38
2.3.2 Distinctive Features 39
2.3.2.1 Voicing 39
2.3.2.2 Aspiration 40
vi Contents
2.3.2.3 Length 40
2.3.2.4 Word Stress 41
2.3.2.5 Lexical Tone 41
2.3.3 Phonotactics 42
2.4 Research Methods 43
2.4.1 Assessing Perception 44
2.4.1.1 The Identifi cation Task 45
2.4.1.2 The Discrimination Task 45
2.4.1.3 The Oddball Paradigm 47
2.4.1.4 Lexical Tasks 48
2.4.2 Assessing Production 48
2.4.2.1 Speech Sample Elicitation 48
2.4.2.2 Speech Sample Evaluation 49
2.5 Models of L2 Phonological Processing 52
2.5.1 The Speech Learning Model (SLM) 53
2.5.2 The Perceptual Assimilation Model (PAM)
and PAM-L2 55
2.5.3 The Native Language Magnet Model (NLMM) 59
2.5.4 The Featural Models 62
2.6 Conclusion 64
3 Phonological Processing in L2: Issues and Findings 73
3.1 Introduction 73
3.2 Language Interaction 74
3.2.1 L1 Infl uence: Dealing With New Phonetic Phenomena 74
3.2.1.1 Segmental Transfer 75
3.2.1.2 Featural Transfer 76
3.2.1.3 Suprasegmental Transfer 79
3.2.1.4 Phonotactic Transfer 81
3.2.1.5 L1 Infl uence and Use of Acoustic Cues 82
3.2.1.6 L1 Infl uence in Word Recognition 83
3.2.1.7 Positive Transfer 84
3.2.1.8 L2 Processing Universals? 84
3.2.2 L1 Infl uence: The Role of the Degree or Pattern
of L1–L2 Overlap 87
3.2.2.1 Testing the SLM: The More Similar,
the More Diffi cult? 88
3.2.2.2 Testing the PAM: Pair Types and Diffi culty
Levels 90
Contents vii
3.2.3 L2 Effect on L1 94
3.2.4 The Case of Simultaneous Bilinguals 99
3.3 Age and Acquirability 101
3.3.1 Documenting Age-Related Differences 101
3.3.2 Documenting Nativelikeness in L2 Phonology 104
3.3.2.1 Nativelike Phonology Among Early Learners 105
3.3.2.2 Nativelike Phonology Among Late Learners 105
3.3.2.3 Non-Native Phonology Among Late Learners
With Long LOR 106
3.3.2.4 Non-Native Phonology Among Early Learners 107
3.3.3 Explaining Age-Related Differences 110
3.3.3.1 Neurophysiological Perspectives 111
3.3.3.2 A Neurocognitive or Neuropsychological
Approach 113
3.3.3.3 L1 Entrenchment 114
3.4 Other Factors 116
3.4.1 LOR, L2 Experiences, and L2 Profi ciency 117
3.4.2 L1 Use 122
3.4.3 Segment-Related Factors 123
3.4.4 Phonetic Training 125
3.5 Conclusion 126
4 Word Recognition in L2 143
4.1 Introduction 143
4.2 Understanding Lexical Representation and Processing 144
4.2.1 Characteristics of Lexical Representation 144
4.2.2 Methods for Studying Lexical Processing 146
4.2.3 Lexical Processing Effects 147
4.2.3.1 Frequency, Familiarity, and Age-of-Acquisition
Effects 147
4.2.3.2 Other Lexical Property Effects 149
4.2.3.3 Meaning-Related Effects 150
4.2.3.4 Nonword-Related Effects 150
4.2.3.5 Priming Effects 151
4.2.3.6 Context Effects 151
4.3 The L2 Lexicon 151
4.3.1 Importance of Form-Based Connections 152
4.3.2 The Episodic L2 Lexicon 157
viii Contents
4.4 Word Recognition in L2: The Role of L1 160
4.4.1 Transfer of Processing Strategies: Phonology vs.
Orthography 160
4.4.2 Transfer of Word Recognition and Reading Skills 164
4.4.3 Commonalities and Universalities in L1 and L2
Word Recognition 167
4.5 Word Recognition in L2: Other Issues 170
4.5.1 Automatic Activation of L1 Translations in L2
Word Recognition 170
4.5.2 A Larger Frequency Effect in L2 173
4.5.3 The Integration of Unfamiliar Words 178
4.6 Conclusion 183
5 Processing Complex Words, Multiword Units,
and Meanings in L2 196
5.1 Introduction 196
5.2 Processing Complex Words in L2 197
5.2.1 Representation and Processing of Complex Words:
Models and Approaches 197
5.2.2 Processing Complex Words in L2: The Decomposition
Debate 201
5.2.3 Processing Complex Words in L2: L1 Infl uence 206
5.3 Processing Multiword Expressions in L2 209
5.3.1 Defi ning and Differentiating Multiword Expressions 210
5.3.2 Holistic Representation and Processing of
Multiword Units 213
5.3.3 L1 Infl uence in Collocation Representation
and Processing 218
5.3.4 Figurative and Literal Meanings in Idiom
Processing Among NNS 222
5.4 Semantic Processing in L2 228
5.4.1 L2 Semantic Processing and Development 229
5.4.2 Cerebral Involvement in Semantic Processing
in L1 and L2 232
5.5 Conclusion 234
6 Sentence Processing in L2: Parsing 244
6.1 Introduction 244
6.1.1 Sentence Ambiguity and the Garden-Path Effect 244
6.1.2 Models of Syntactic Parsing 247
Contents ix
6.2 The Role of L1 in L2 Parsing 249
6.2.1 Verb Subcategorization 249
6.2.2 Relative Clause Attachment 254
6.3 Syntactic and Lexicosemantic Information in L2 Parsing 260
6.3.1 The Use of Lexicosemantic Information in L2 Parsing 261
6.3.2 The Use of Syntactic Information in L2 Parsing 265
6.4 Working Memory and L2 Sentence Processing 272
6.5 Conclusion 278
7 Sentence Processing in L2: Sensitivity to Morphosyntactic
Violations 286
7.1 Introduction 286
7.2 Methodological Considerations for Assessing Acquisition 287
7.3 Research Findings 291
7.3.1 Behavioral Studies 291
7.3.2 Electrophysiological Studies 297
7.4 Understanding the Confl icting Findings 303
7.4.1 Discrepancies Across Paradigms 303
7.4.1.1 Behavioral and ERP Studies 303
7.4.1.2 The SPRT vs. Eye Tracking 304
7.4.2 The Profi ciency Factor 306
7.4.3 Explaining the Distance Effect 308
7.5 Explaining the Morphological Congruency Effect 308
7.5.1 Explaining the Effect: A Theoretical Proposal 309
7.5.2 Testing the Proposal 314
7.6 Conclusion 316
Epilogue 323
Index 326
