Cross-linguistic interference in late language learners: An ERP study

Brain and Language, vol. 221, pp. 104993

Abstract

This study investigated cross-linguistic interference in German low-proficient late learners of Spanish. We examined the modulating influence of gender congruency and cognate status using a syntactic violation paradigm. Behavioural results demonstrated that participants were more sensitive to similarities at the syntactic level (gender congruency) than to phonological and orthographic overlap (cognate status). Electrophysiological data showed that they were sensitive to syntactic violations (P600 effect) already in early acquisition stages. However, P600 effect sizes were not modulated by gender congruency or cognate status. Therefore, our late learners of Spanish did not seem to be susceptible to influences from inherent noun properties when processing non-native noun phrases at the neural level. Our results contribute to the discussion about the neural correlates of grammatical gender processing and sensitivity to syntactic violations in early acquisition stages.

Authors 3

1. Sarah Von Grebmer Zu Wolfsthurn corresponding Aachen Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition

   Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University Center for Linguistics (LUCL), Reuvensplaats 3-4, 2311 BE Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), LUMC, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: s.von.grebmer.zu.wolfsthurn@hum.leidenuniv.nl

   Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), LUMC, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands

   Leiden University Center for Linguistics (LUCL), Reuvensplaats 3-4, 2311 BE Leiden, The Netherlands

2. Leticia Pablos Aachen Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition

   Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University Center for Linguistics (LUCL), Reuvensplaats 3-4, 2311 BE Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), LUMC, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands

   Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), LUMC, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands

   Leiden University Center for Linguistics (LUCL), Reuvensplaats 3-4, 2311 BE Leiden, The Netherlands

3. Niels Olaf Schiller Aachen Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition

   Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center

   Affiliation as printed

   Leiden University Center for Linguistics (LUCL), Reuvensplaats 3-4, 2311 BE Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), LUMC, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands

   Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), LUMC, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands

   Leiden University Center for Linguistics (LUCL), Reuvensplaats 3-4, 2311 BE Leiden, The Netherlands