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Part of
Cross-language Influences in Bilingual Processing and Second Language Acquisition
Edited by Irina Elgort, Anna Siyanova-Chanturia and Marc Brysbaert
[Bilingual Processing and Acquisition 16] 2023
► pp. 262–293

Chapter 11
Cross-language influences in L2 syntactic processing and production in late L2 learners

| Ghent University
| Ghent University
| University of Antwerp

Is syntactic processing in a second language (L2) influenced by the first language? This chapter reviews studies that address this issue, with an emphasis on work testing cross-linguistic structural priming. Such priming may indicate that the speaker has shared or connected syntactic representations across languages. We first sketch two types of theories of L2 syntactic representations: theories assuming that syntactic sharing increases with experience, and those assuming the opposite trajectory. We then review studies that found cross-linguistic priming in production and in comprehension and discuss how factors such as lexical overlap, proficiency, word order, case marking, and linguistic distance modulate this effect. We conclude with a discussion of the findings in light of current theories of syntactic processing in L2.

Keywords: syntactic processing, second language acquisition, structural priming
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1From L2-specific to shared (L1 + L2) syntactic representations
    • 1.2Cross-linguistic influence from the start
  • 2.Factors affecting cross-language syntactic influences
    • 2.1Lexical effects
    • 2.2Proficiency
    • 2.3Word order
    • 2.4Case marking
    • 2.5Linguistic distance
  • 3.Discussion
  • References
Published online: 1 May 2023
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/bpa.16.11muy
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