Brenders, P. 1, 2 , van Hell, J. 1, 3 & Dijkstra, T. 2
1 Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
2 Donders Centre for Cognition, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
3 Department of Psychology and Center for Language Science, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
This study examined morphosyntactic processing in the second language (L2) in beginning L2 learners and proficient bilinguals. In two behavioral experiments (using self-paced reading and a grammaticality judgment task) and an ERP experiment, Dutch beginning classroom learners of L2 English (6th graders) and adult proficient Dutch-English bilinguals were presented with L2 sentences that contained verb inflection violations (present and past tense verb inflection and present progressive), as well as their correct counterparts. The beginning L2 learners showed sensitivity to morphosyntactic violations in their ERPs (evidenced by (small) LAN or P600 effects), but did not (yet) show this sensitivity in the behavioral measurements (self-paced reading times and error rates in grammaticality judgment). The proficient bilinguals were sensitive to violations of verb inflections in L2 sentences on both behavioral and ERP measures. These results indicate that beginning child L2 learners show sensitivity to violations of L2 morphosyntactic structures in measures of brain activity, even when they do not yet display reliable sensitivity in their behavioral performance.