English L2 Speakers' Processing of Morphologically Simplex and Suffixed Words

한국언어학회 한국언어학회 2015 언어 Vol.40 No.3

Yun, Gwanhi. 2015. English L2 Speakers’ Processing of Morphologically Simplex and Suffixed Words Korean Journal of Linguistics, 40-3, 40-3, 423-448. Recent studies on morphological processing have shown that morphologically complex words such as class II affixed words or regular inflected words are processed by decomposition whereas class I affixed words and irregular inflected words are processed as whole-word units. The present study aims at exploring whether such patterns found for native speakers of English emerge differently in accordance with L2 proficiency. First, the results attained for intermediate proficiency learners show that complex words benefit from more processing efficiency than simplex words, derivational words cost more difficulty processing than inflected words for high-frequency condition, and class II suffixed words suffer heavier processing burden than class I suffixed words. Second, the results for advanced learner group show that simplex words are processed more efficiently than complex words, inflectional words are processed with more difficulty than derivational words in low-frequency words, and class II suffixed words pay more processing cost than class I suffixed words in high-frequency condition. These findings suggest that L2 processing mode for complex words is contingent on proficiency level and surface frequency is mediated in the processing. Furthermore, it is implied that though the extent of dual-route processing is not as strong as that of target language users, L2 learners seem to be under progress towards dual-route processing as the growth of proficiency. (Daegu University)

Morphological Processing of a Korean Nominal Suffix -tul by Korean Speakers and Chinese L2 Learners

Hee-Don Ahn,Jung-Yun Choi,Moongee Jeon,Sangki Kim,Jong-Bai Hwang 한국중원언어학회 2021 언어학연구 Vol.- No.59

The comprehension and production of second language (L2) is a key factor in understanding the course of L2 development. Several accounts have been posited to explain the differences in the L1 and L2 processing, including the minimum involvement of morphological parsing and the L1 interference. However, the evidence is not sufficient to be conclusive. This paper investigates and compares L1 and L2 processing of a Korean nominal suffix -tul by Korean L1 speakers and Chinese learners of Korean. Masked and cross-modal priming experiments were performed to examine L1 speakers" and L2 learners" morphological decomposition in processing the target nominal suffix. The results revealed that the L1 processing displayed partial priming effects in the masked priming experiment and full priming effects in the cross-modal priming experiment, while the L2 processing by Chinese speakers showed no priming in the masked priming experiment and partial priming in the cross-modal priming experiment. We conclude that L1 and L2 processing are fundamentally different, and that unlike L1 processing, morphological decomposition is underused or absent in L2 processing.

Age Constraints on L2 Learners’ Processing of Derivational Morphology

Dami Lee 한국외국어교육학회 2015 Foreign languages education Vol.22 No.1

This study examined how L2 learners of English process morphologically complex words (e.g., bareness) and psuedowords (e.g.,*boilness) to investigate if the L2 processing of derivational morphology is subject to critical period effects. It has been claimed that native speakers rely on procedural memory to process morphologically complex words, while L2 learners tend to utilize declarative memory to process them (Ullman, 2001, 2004, 2005). According to Ullman, L2 learners’ reliance on declarative memory for processing morphologically complex words is due to maturational changes in procedural memory. Two related experiments with a masked priming lexical decision task were conducted with two groups of Korean learners: early and late L2 learners. With regard to the results, early L2 learners showed stem priming effects for morphologically related prime-target pairs, which is indicative of morphological decomposition. On the other hand, late L2 learners did not provide any evidence of stem priming, indicating that they might have processed the morphologically complex word/pseudoword as a whole unit. These data suggest that the L2 processing of late learners is different from that of early learners.

L2 morphological processing of Korean nominal narker -ka: evidence from masked and cross-modal priming with advanced Chinese learners

( Hee Don Ahn ),( Yong Joon Cho ),( Jong Bai Hwang ),( Moon Gee Jeon ),( Ki Sud Jeong ) 경희대학교 언어연구소 2014 언어연구 Vol.31 No.2

This paper reports results from masked and cross-modal priming experiments which investigate L1 and L2 processing of Korean nominal marker -ka in native speakers of Korean and advanced Chinese L2 learners of Korean. In both the masked and cross-modal priming experiments, partial priming effects were found for L1, and full priming effects for L2. The results indicate that L1 speakers of Korean make less use of morphological decomposition on the processing of the nominal marker -ka than Chinese L2 learners of Korean. The results that there was no difference between masked and cross-modal priming either in L1 or in L2 also indicate that the observed L1/L2 difference cannot be confined to either level of processing, at the early stages of form-level access or at the central level of lexical entries. (Konkuk University)

L2 Processing of Inflectional Morphology by Korean Learners of English

Dami Lee 한국외국어교육학회 2011 Foreign languages education Vol.18 No.1

This study examined how L2 learners process morphologically complex words (e.g., regularly inflected past-tense forms) to see if L2 processing of inflectional morphology is similar to L1 processing. In literature, it is posited that native speakers use grammatical computation in processing of morphologically complex words, whereas L2 learners largely rely on lexical storage (Ullman, 2001). A lexical decision task with masked primes was administered to thirty Korean L2 learners who were classified into two different levels of English proficiency. The results demonstrated that highly advanced L2 learners, like native English speakers, showed facilitation effects for past-tense primes and similar reaction times (RTs). On the other hand, intermediate L2 learners were significantly slower than native English speakers and did not show any facilitation effects for past-tense primes. These data indicate that the highly advanced L2 learners process morphologically complex words in decomposed form, whereas the intermediate L2 learners as unanalyzed wholes, suggesting that as proficiency increases, L2 processing changes.

Processing semantic and phonological factors in derivational morphology by Korean L2 learners of English: An ERP cross-modal priming study

박명관,정원일 경희대학교 언어정보연구소 2012 언어연구 Vol.29 No.3

This paper examines L2 processing of derivational morphology in English. Derivational morphology in English is known to differ from inflectional morphology, in that unlike the latter whose well-known example is regular and irregular verbal morphology, the former varies in light of regularity. That is, derivational morphology does not display a categorical, regular and irregular distinction, but involves semantic and phonological/phonetic factors in shaping its various word structures. We focus on these aspects of derivational morphology to examine how Korean L2 learners of English comprehend semantic and phonological factors in processing derivational morphology. We use the event-related potentials (ERPs) paradigm to capture the finer-grained time course of processing it. It is shown in this paper that L2 learners of English start with processing both simple and derivationally complex words on the phonological level, as can be seen from the finding that only phonological/phonetic priming effects arise in the early N400 time window (324-400ms). But at the immediately following stage of processing they engage in processing derivationally complex words on the semantic level, as can be seen from the finding that only semantic priming effects arise in the late time interval (400-476ms). Since for L1 native speakers this semantic processing in fact starts in the early N400 time window, L2 learners of English are taken to be a little slower than L1 native speakers in processing derivationally complex words. Furthermore, unlike L1 native speakers, the L2 learners are found to have difficulty in understanding cumulative features of semantic and phonological/phonetic properties in processing morphologically related words.

L2 morphological processing of Korean nominal marker -ka: evidence from masked and cross-modal priming with advanced Chinese learners

Hee Don Ahn,Yong joon Cho,Jong Bai Hwang,Moon gee Jeon,Ki sub Jeong,Ji eun Kim 경희대학교 언어정보연구소 2014 언어연구 Vol.31 No.2

This paper reports results from masked and cross-modal priming experiments which investigate L1 and L2 processing of Korean nominal marker -ka in native speakers of Korean and advanced Chinese L2 learners of Korean. In both the masked and cross-modal priming experiments, partial priming effects were found for L1, and full priming effects for L2. The results indicate that L1 speakers of Korean make less use of morphological decomposition on the processing of the nominal marker -ka than Chinese L2 learners of Korean. The results that there was no difference between masked and cross-modal priming either in L1 or in L2 also indicate that the observed L1/L2 difference cannot be confined to either level of processing, at the early stages of form-level access or at the central level of lexical entries.

L2 morphological processing of Korean nominal narker -ka: evidence from masked and cross-modal priming with advanced Chinese learners

안희돈,조용준,황종배,전문기,정기섭,김지은 경희대학교 언어정보연구소 2014 언어연구 Vol.31 No.2

This paper reports results from masked and cross-modal priming experiments which investigate L1 and L2 processing of Korean nominal marker –ka in native speakers of Korean and advanced Chinese L2 learners of Korean. In both the masked and cross-modal priming experiments, partial priming effects were found for L1, and full priming effects for L2. The results indicate that L1 speakers of Korean make less use of morphological decomposition on the processing of the nominal marker –ka than Chinese L2 learners of Korean. The results that there was no difference between masked and cross-modal priming either in L1 or in L2 also indicate that the observed L1/L2 difference cannot be confined to either level of processing, at the early stages of form-level access or at the central level of lexical entries.

English L2 Speakers' Processing of Morphologically Simplex and Suffixed Words

윤관희 한국언어학회 2015 언어 Vol.40 No.3

Yun, Gwanhi. 2015. English L2 Speakers’ Processing of Morphologically Simplex and Suffixed Words Korean Journal of Linguistics, 40-3, 40-3, 425-450. Recent studies on morphological processing have shown that morphologically complex words such as class II affixed words or regular inflected words are processed by decomposition whereas class I affixed words and irregular inflected words are processed as whole-word units. The present study aims at exploring whether such patterns found for native speakers of English emerge differently in accordance with L2 proficiency. First, the results attained for intermediate proficiency learners show that complex words benefit from more processing efficiency than simplex words, derivational words cost more difficulty processing than inflected words for high-frequency condition, and class II suffixed words suffer heavier processing burden than class I suffixed words. Second, the results for advanced learner group show that simplex words are processed more efficiently than complex words, inflectional words are processed with more difficulty than derivational words in low-frequency words, and class II suffixed words pay more processing cost than class I suffixed words in high-frequency condition. These findings suggest that L2 processing mode for complex words is contingent on proficiency level and surface frequency is mediated in the processing. Furthermore, it is implied that though the extent of dual-route processing is not as strong as that of target language users, L2 learners seem to be under progress towards dual-route processing as the growth of proficiency. (Daegu University)

English L2 Speakers" Processing of Morphologically Simplex and Suffixed Words

Gwanhi Yun(윤관희) 한국언어학회 2015 언어 Vol.40 No.3

Recent studies on morphological processing have shown that morphologically complex words such as class II affixed words or regular inflected words are processed by decomposition whereas class I affixed words and irregular inflected words are processed as whole-word units. The present study aims at exploring whether such patterns found for native speakers of English emerge differently in accordance with L2 proficiency. First, the results attained for intermediate proficiency learners show that complex words benefit from more processing efficiency than simplex words, derivational words cost more difficulty processing than inflected words for high-frequency condition, and class II suffixed words suffer heavier processing burden than class I suffixed words. Second, the results for advanced learner group show that simplex words are processed more efficiently than complex words, inflectional words are processed with more difficulty than derivational words in low-frequency words, and class II suffixed words pay more processing cost than class I suffixed words in high-frequency condition. These findings suggest that L2 processing mode for complex words is contingent on proficiency level and surface frequency is mediated in the processing. Furthermore, it is implied that though the extent of dual-route processing is not as strong as that of target language users, L2 learners seem to be under progress towards dual-route processing as the growth of proficiency.