Morphological knowledge affects processing of L2 derivational morphology: An event-related potential study. (February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Deng, Taiping; Shi, Jiawei; Dunlap, Susan; Bi, Hongyan; Chen, Baoguo
• Is Part Of: Journal of neurolinguistics. Volume 37(2016)
• Page Start: 47
• Page End: 57
• Publication Date: 2016-02
• Subjects: Morphological knowledge -- Derivational morphology -- Second language; Neurolinguistics -- Periodicals; Language and languages -- Physiological aspects -- Periodicals; Psycholinguistics -- Periodicals; Brain -- physiology -- Periodicals; Language -- physiology -- Periodicals; Neurolinguistique -- Périodiques; Langage et langues -- Aspect physiologique -- Périodiques; Psycholinguistique -- Périodiques; Language and languages -- Physiological aspects; Neurolinguistics; Psycholinguistics; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 616.855
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jneuroling.2015.09.001
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0911-6044

Abstract

Abstract: This study used event-related potentials (ERPs) to investigate the effect of morphological knowledge on L2 derivational processing in a sentence reading task with Chinese-English bilinguals. Correctly derived words and pseudo-derived words were embedded in a semantically plausible sentence. Compared with the correctly derived words, a significant P600 to pseudo-derived words was elicited in the group with high morphological knowledge, indicating their sensitivity to rule violations and application of rule-based decomposition. For the group with low morphological knowledge, a significant N400 was observed, suggesting that participants in this group depend more on a whole-word processing mechanism. These results suggest that morphological knowledge plays an important role in L2 processing of derivational morphology. Highlights: Learner with low L2 morphological knowledge showed a N400 to pseudo-derived words. Learner with high L2 morphological knowledge showed a P600 to pseudo-derived words. Morphological knowledge plays an important role in L2 derivational processing.