Input Training Matters in L2 Syntactic Representation Entrenchment: Evidence from a Follow-Up ERP Study

• Published in: Journal of psycholinguistic research Vol. 48; no. 3; pp. 729 - 745
• Main Authors: Deng, Taiping, Chen, Baoguo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Behavioral Science and Psychology; Behavioral Science Research; Behavioral Sciences; Brain Hemisphere Functions; Cognitive Psychology; Control Groups; Diagnostic Tests; English (Second Language); English as a second language learning; English Learners; Event-related potentials; Evidence; Experimental Groups; Experimental Psychology; Grammar; Grammatical agreement; Grammatical subject; Language Processing; Language Usage; Linguistic Input; Linguistic Theory; Linguistics; Outcomes of Education; Psycholinguistics; Psychology; Repetition; Role; Second Language Learning; Sentences; Syntactic processing; Syntactic structures; Syntax; Teaching Methods; Theoretical linguistics; Time; Verbs; P600; Syntactic entrenchment; Linguistic input; Second language
• ISSN: 0090-6905; 1573-6555; 1573-6555
• DOI: 10.1007/s10936-019-09628-z

The usage-based theory highlights the important role of linguistic input in language acquisition, and assumes that syntactic representations could be entrenched through usage or exposure. In the present study, we used the event-related potential technique to investigate the long-term effect of input training on second language (L2) syntactic representations entrenchment, using English subject-verb agreement structures as the stimuli. Results showed that 3 months after the training of the specific subject-verb agreement structures, a significant P600 was observed in the key region (the verb) of the sentences with syntactic violations in the experimental group, but not in the control group. This indicates that linguistic input training contributes to syntactic representations entrenchment, which can be sustained for a relatively long period, indicating a long-term effect of input training. The results suggest that linguistic input is a causal variable in L2 online syntactic processing, supporting the usage-based theory.