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

长期以来，人们一直认为，随着年龄的增长，学习第二语言(L2)会变得更加困难。在鲁米亚娜·斯拉巴科娃博士的指导下，皮埃尔·塔尼亚·莱尔·门德斯将研究学习者在关键习得期(大约在青春期开始)后试图掌握一门新语言时遇到的困难的两种描述。这些解释对母语/非母语加工的不对称性做出了不同的预测--具体地说，这些差异是由于缺乏自动性，如界面假说所提出的，还是由于第二语言学习者倾向于发展不那么详细的语法表征，如浅结构假说所提出的那样。本文将使用一个单一的语言结构来检验每个假设的预测：西班牙语中的斜坡式左位错位(CLLD)。本研究将使用各种线上和线下任务来测试学生的第二语言学习能力，包括可接受性判断任务、熟练程度任务、自定节奏阅读任务、抑制控制措施和统计学习任务。基于前人在L1加工方面的研究，研究人员假设L2水平与在线L2理解过程中增加的预测生成能力之间存在显著的关系。这一项目的结果将对第二语言教学产生影响。此外，该项目将为研究生--国际和平研究所提供建立国际科学合作和传播项目成果的机会。

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.