ERIC Number: EJ1297580
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-May
Pages: 31
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2490-4198
EISSN: N/A
The Processing of Adjective Agreement Morphology in Native, Heritage, and L2 Arabic
Foote, Rebecca K.; Saadah, Eman
Arab Journal of Applied Linguistics, v6 n1 p1-31 May 2021
According to previous research, speakers of European languages parse regularly-inflected, morphologically-complex words into stems and grammatical affixes during word recognition. In contrast, some studies suggest that late second language (L2) learners do not. We ask how these types of words are processed in Arabic, a language whose primary morphological process is infixation, which exists alongside prefix- and suffixation. Specifically, we ask how natives, heritage, and late L2 learners process regular gender and number agreement morphology on adjectives. Results of a masked priming experiment suggest that all three groups parse adjectives into stems and affixes depending on agreement type, suggesting that learners store and process morphologically-complex words like native speakers, even when the first and second language have very different morphological systems.
Descriptors: Language Processing, Morphology (Languages), Morphemes, Word Recognition, Native Speakers, Second Language Learning, Form Classes (Languages), Priming, Semitic Languages, Comparative Analysis, Language Variation, Computer Software, Reaction Time, Gender Differences, Foreign Countries, Native Language, Age Differences, English (Second Language), Translation, Task Analysis, Heritage Education, Second Language Instruction
Faculty of Human and Social Sciences of Tunis, Tunisia. 94 BD du 9 Avril Tunis 1007, Tunisia. Tel: 216-71564797; Fax: 216-567551; Web site: http://www.arjals.com/ojs/index.php/Arjals2016
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Egypt; Middle East
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A