Processing 'Gender-neutral' Pronouns: A Self-paced Reading Study of Learners of English.

Autor/inn/en	Speyer, Lydia Gabriela; Schleef, Erik
Titel	Processing 'Gender-neutral' Pronouns: A Self-paced Reading Study of Learners of English.
Quelle	In: Applied linguistics, 40 (2019) 5, S. 793-815Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Link als defekt meldenVerfügbarkeit
Beigaben	Abbildungen 5; Anmerkungen 7; Literaturangaben; Tabellen 2
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1477-450X
Schlagwörter	Empirische Forschung; Gender; Leseverhalten; Pronomen; Fremdsprachenunterricht; Englischunterricht; Lesen
Abstract	This article explores the online processing of singular he and she and singular they by learners of English to discover whether singular they presents a processing problem for non-native speakers (NNSs). It also examines the extent to which such issues may vary as a function of L2 proficiency at B2, C1, and C2 levels. A self-paced reading study was conducted with 51 students at an Austrian university. Results were compared with a similar study based on data collected from native speakers. The authors found advanced NNSs matching those of native speakers in almost all respects, and they present some evidence for developmental progression in how he, she, and they are processed. Pronoun-specific details are built up over time, and the authors suggest their relative strength depends on the robustness of the input. The authors provide self-reported production data to support this argument. This study paints a very optimistic picture of the acquisition of singular they at B2 and higher proficiency levels, as it can be acquired even under circumstances of later familiarization. (Verlag, adapt.).
Erfasst von	Informationszentrum für Fremdsprachenforschung, Marburg
Update	2022/2