Meaning in Grammar: The Role of Conceptual Information in Processing and Retention of Number and Gender in L1 and L2 German

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Denisa Bordag
• Subject Area: General and Comparative Linguistics, Experimental Linguistics, Typology, Non-European Languages
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 450373579

The renewal proposal complements our previous research on the retention of surface level forms as expressions of grammatical and linguistic functions by exploring the role of the conceptual component in the retention of these functions. To address this topic, the project zooms into the area of feature value changing alternations (of number and gender) and investigates how the processing and retention of the two features is affected by conceptual differences between them (in particular imageability) and by reduction of the conceptual information. The conceptual manipulation is achieved through the employment of pronominalization and inference (inferable vs. non inferable contexts), which also become a subject of the research. To date, the role of the conceptual component - and in particular imageability - has been extensively addressed in vocabulary research, but has remained at the margin of grammar processing and acquisition studies. All experiments employ eyetracking and will be performed both in L1 and L2 German (advanced learners) to ascertain how the conceptual and grammatical information interact with the processing and retention of number and gender features in the two populations. In particular, we address the question of whether the stronger reliance of L2 learners on surface forms (as revealed in the previous project phase) is associated with reduced imageability and shallower processing at the conceptual level and whether this affects the processing and retention of grammatical information. The results will be relevant not only for understanding the challenges that L2 learners experience in L2 processing and acquisition, but also for broader cognitive mechanisms: Revealing the differences about which information L1 and L2 readers retain and integrate into their mental text models can inform why for example follow up cognitive processes such as decision making may differ depending on whether L1 and L2 is used.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Czech Republic, USA
• Cooperation Partners: Dr. Jan Chromý; Professorin Kira Gor; Dr. Eva Lehecková; Professor Filip Smolík; Dr. Katerina Sormová; Professorin Paula Winke