Doctoral Dissertation Research: Processing of long-distance dependencies at the syntax-discourse interface: The case of Clitic Left Dislocation

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It has long been theorized that acquiring a second language (L2) becomes more difficult as a person ages.. Under the direction of Dr. Roumyana Slabacova, co-PI Tania Leal Mendez will examine two accounts of the difficulties learners encounter when attempting to master a new language after the critical acquisition period (which ends roughly with the onset of puberty). These accounts make contrasting predictions concerning native/non-native language processing asymmetries--specifically, whether these differences are due to lack of automaticity, as proposed by the Interface Hypothesis, or to the L2 learner's tendency to develop less detailed grammatical representations, as proposed by the Shallow Structure Hypothesis. This dissertation will test the predictions of each hypothesis using a single linguistic construction: Clitic Left Dislocation (CLLD) in Spanish. A variety of online and offline tasks will be used to test L2 knowledge of CLLD, including an acceptability judgment task, a proficiency task, a self-paced reading task, a measure of inhibitory control, and a statistical learning task. Based on previous work in L1 processing, the researchers hypothesize a significant relationship between L2 proficiency and increased prediction-generating abilities during on-line L2 comprehension. The results from this project will have implications for second language instruction. In addition, this project will provide the graduate-student co-PI with opportunities for building international scientific collaborations and for the dissemination of project findings.