Chapter 11. Cross-language influences in L2 syntactic processing and production in late L2 learners

Abstract

Is syntactic processing in a second language (L2) influenced by the first language? This chapter reviews studies that address this issue, with an emphasis on work testing cross-linguistic structural priming. Such priming may indicate that the speaker has shared or connected syntactic representations across languages. We first sketch two types of theories of L2 syntactic representations: theories assuming that syntactic sharing increases with experience, and those assuming the opposite trajectory. We then review studies that found cross-linguistic priming in production and in comprehension and discuss how factors such as lexical overlap, proficiency, word order, case marking, and linguistic distance modulate this effect. We conclude with a discussion of the findings in light of current theories of syntactic processing in L2.