Authors:
Tsikulina, Alina, alina.tsikulina@univ-lille.fr, University of Lille
Soroli, Efstathia, efstathia.soroli@univ-lille.fr, University of Lille
Keywords: bilingualism, eye-tracking, reading strategies, fixation measures, evaluative constructions, cross-linguistic influence
Abstract:
Reading in a second language (L2) differs from first language (L1) processing, particularly for syntactically complex constructions and asymmetrical assignments [1-5]. For example, in some languages (e.g., English, French), speakers can evaluate a situation using so-called Tough Constructions (TCs) - e.g., This dog is difficult to walk - that involve an evaluative adjective (ADJ: difficult) and require interpreting the syntactic subject (NP: this dog) as the missing object of an embedded non-finite verb (INF: to walk) [6-7]. Other languages (e.g., Russian) lack such TCs but offer functional analogues (e.g., impersonal predicatives/PRED) [8-10]. This raises a key question: Are French-English (FR-EN) bilinguals more adept at processing TCs in L2 compared to Russian-English (RU-EN) late bilinguals? This study examines (a) how these two groups process TCs and PRED in their L1 and L2, (b) whether bilingual L2 processing differs from monolingual, and (c) whether the typological distance between L1 and L2 influences L2 reading.
Thirty-six late bilinguals (17 FR-EN, 19 RU-EN) and seven English monolinguals completed a Sentence-Picture Matching Task coupled with eye-tracking. Participants read a TC/PRED sentence in their L1 and in their L2, when relevant (e.g., This cat is easy to wash) with two pictures: one depicting object-interpretation (A woman washing a cat) and the other subject-interpretation (The cat washing itself). Results indicate that although all groups favoured object interpretations, their gaze patterns differed, with longer and more fixations in L2. Bilinguals in L2 fixated more on the INF area than monolinguals, and RU-EN additionally focused more on NPs, suggesting increased difficulty processing the TCs’ object gap. Moreover, the ADJ area attracted more and longer fixations from RU-EN bilinguals compared to FR-EN, indicating greater difficulty in predicate assignment. Finally, exploration strategies confirmed reanalysis, as RU-EN viewers in L2 made multiple regressions despite an overall linear pattern, reflecting increased syntactic reassignment needs.
These findings show how challenging L2 decoding is but also underscore the influence language differences have in comprehension. The study highlights the value of eye-tracking for investigating bilingual syntactic processing and cross-linguistic influences in real-time decoding.
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