Processing Anaphoric Encapsulation in the L2: The Role of L2 Proficiency and Degree of Informativity

ABSTRACT The present study examines how L2‐English proficiency modulates the real‐time processing of anaphoric encapsulation across different degrees of informativity, and which stages of processing are most sensitive to these factors. Two groups of EFL learners at different proficiency levels read short texts containing nominal anaphoric encapsulation that varied in informativity while their eye movements were recorded. Early and late eye‐tracking measures were analyzed across three discourse regions involved in anaphoric retrieval and integration. Results showed that advanced learners displayed relatively stable reading patterns across informativity levels, suggesting more efficient integration of encapsulated discourse representations. In contrast, intermediate learners showed increased processing effort as informativity increased, particularly in late measures and in discourse regions associated with integration and reanalysis. These effects emerged both at the level of the encapsulating expression and in subsequent discourse processing, indicating that less proficient learners tend to accumulate processing costs across discourse regions under high inferential demands. Overall, the findings highlight the role of L2 proficiency in shaping discourse‐level processing and demonstrate the usefulness of eye‐tracking for capturing the temporal dynamics of anaphora resolution in L2 reading.