Abstract
This article reports on an empirical study investigating the role of first language (L1) in the developmental stages of second language (L2) representations, by examining the within-language priming effects of two types of verb phrase ellipses in L2 oral speech production. An Elicited Imitation Task was administrated to non-proficient English- and Korean-speaking L2 learners of Chinese, as well as to native speakers of Chinese. The results indicate that L2 speakers produced significantly more responses with the type of ellipsis that also existed in their L1. This suggests that, at non-highly-proficient levels, priming in L2 speech production is affected by the presence or absence of the equivalent of the primed structure in the speakers’ L1. A speaker's L1 exerts a significant influence on the developmental course of their L2 representation, before a shared representation is established between the speaker's L1 and L2.
Published Version
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