Representation, processing and working memory in a second language

被引:101
作者
Juffs, A [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA
关键词
D O I
10.1111/j.0079-1636.2004.00135.x
中图分类号
H [语言、文字];
学科分类号
05 ;
摘要
Current theories of morphosyntax propose that features play a key role in determining some aspects of word order and in the argument structure of verbs. Thus, knowledge of language consists of features and mechanisms that ensure that elements in a clause are assembled correctly for interpretation and phonological processing. Therefore, the nature of the grammar of an L2 can be explored by assessing whether features and the mechanisms through which they are assembled and checked is 'impaired' or not. This article assumes that processing performance can provide a window onto this grammatical competence. Evidence is presented from online processing of English by thirty Chinese-speaking, twenty-eight Japanese-speaking, and forty-six Spanish-speaking participants which shows that the basic mechanisms of grammar remain intact for L2 learners in spite of inferior performance on judgements of those same sentences. Data suggest that working memory, as measured by the reading-span test (Daneman and Carpenter 1980), is not a source of individual variation in online L2 performance, whereas word span might be.
引用
收藏
页码:199 / 225
页数:27
相关论文
共 50 条
[1]  
[Anonymous], 1999, WORKING MINIMALISM
[2]  
[Anonymous], 2000, Step by Step. Essays on Minimalist Syntax in Honour of Howard Lasnik
[3]  
[Anonymous], 1996, HDB 2 LANGUAGE ACQUI
[4]  
[Anonymous], 2000, INPUT EVIDENCE RAW M
[5]   The phonological loop as a language learning device [J].
Baddeley, A ;
Gathercole, S ;
Papagno, C .
PSYCHOLOGICAL REVIEW, 1998, 105 (01) :158-173
[6]  
Baddeley A., 2000, The Oxford Handbook of Memory, P77
[7]  
BECKER JD, 1975, THEORETICAL ISSUES N, P38
[8]  
Berquist B., 1997, P GALA 97 C LANGUAGE
[9]   Working memory and executive function: evidence from neuroimaging [J].
Carpenter, PA ;
Just, MA ;
Reichle, ED .
CURRENT OPINION IN NEUROBIOLOGY, 2000, 10 (02) :195-199
[10]  
Chomsky N., 1986, BARRIERS