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Processing Chinese relative clauses in context by Italian L3 learners by Shenai Hu; Carlo Toneatto; Silvia Pozzi; Maria Teresa Guasti is a Psychology article available to read on EtoBox.

What is Processing Chinese relative clauses in context by Italian L3 learners about?

The present study investigates third language (L3) learners' processing of Chinese subject and object relative clauses in a supportive context. Using a self-paced reading task, we tested native Italian L3 learners of Mandarin Chinese and native Chinese speakers. The results showed that the L3 learners read significantly more slowly than the native speakers in all the target regions. Also, in the head noun region, they read object relative clauses significantly more slowly compared to subject relative clauses, indicating a preference for the latter. By contrast, for the native speakers, no significant differences were observed between subject and object relative clauses in any of the target regions. The L3 learners' performance offers support for the Structural Distance Hypothesis over the Dependency Locality Theory, and the contrast between the two populations indicates that context is at play in the processing of relative clauses.

Who reads Processing Chinese relative clauses in context by Italian L3 learners?

Author

Shenai Hu; Carlo Toneatto; Silvia Pozzi; Maria Teresa Guasti

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Published

2021

Language

EN

Field

Psychology (Social Sciences)