Processing of passives using morphological information within the verb in a second language: Slower, but as robust as in a first language

Abstract This study aims to illuminate the underlying mechanisms of sentence processing in L2 speakers. The phenomenon of interest in the study is the passive structure, which prior research has shown can be challenging for both L1 speakers and L2 speakers to process compared to active structures. Using a visual-world eye-tracking paradigm, this study investigates whether L1-English speakers and L1-Cantonese L2-English speakers employ a morphological cue within the verb to process English actives and passives, and if so, specifically when these cues are integrated into their processing. The results from a growth curve analysis and a divergence point analysis show that the L2-English speakers were slower than the L1-English speakers, but did use the morphological cue to process both actives and passives, even though this cue is absent in their L1 Cantonese. These results suggest that, despite differences in processing speed, the mechanisms underlying L1 and L2 processing are similar.