A Task Effect Based Explanation for Advanced L2 Learners’ Insensitivity to Agreement Errors in L2 Sentence Processing

Abstract

This study examines whether L1-Korean L2 learners of English are sensitive to morphological agreement violations in sentence processing and whether task type affects their sensitivity. One experiment evaluates online grammaticality judgment accuracy and uses reading times to assess sensitivity to ungrammaticality. A second experiment evaluates offline grammaticality judgment accuracy. Forty-six English native speakers and 28 advanced L2 learners of English completed the online task, and 13 native speakers and 11 advanced L2 learners completed the offline task. The L2 learners showed a lack of sensitivity to the agreement violations in the online task but native-like sensitivity in the offline task. These findings suggest that non-linguistic factors such as task differences play an important role in modulating L2 learners’ sensitivity to agreement errors. The findings also provide evidence that supports the computational deficit approach as an explanation for L2 learners’ insensitivity to morphological violations.