ABSTRACT

This experiment investigated interactions between lower- and higher-level processing when reading in a second language (L2). We conducted an eye-tracking experiment with the within-subject manipulation inconsistency (to tap higher-level coherence-building) crossed with a within-subject manipulation of word-processing difficulty (to alter the ease of lower-level processing), both manipulated on the text level. Sixty-three L2 learners read 48 short expository texts containing inconsistencies created through mismatches between pretargets such as soya and targets such as corn, or consistent controls. Word-processing difficulty was manipulated by inserting either shorter and higher-frequency words such as often or longer and lower-frequency words such as increasingly. We found evidence of interactions between lower-level word-processing difficulty and higher-level coherence building, as revealed by reduced a inconsistency effect showing in go-past durations and rereading in the difficult condition. This effect did not, however, extend to targeted regressions into inconsistent information. Our findings provide the first experimental evidence for online interactions between lower-level word processing and higher-level coherence building.

摘要

本实验研究了使用第二种语言（L2）阅读时低级和高级处理之间的交互作用。我们进行了一项眼动追踪实验，研究对象内部操作的不一致（以挖掘更高层次的连贯性）与对象内部操作的文字处理难度（以改变较低级别处理的难易程度）相交的情况。在文字层面上。六十三名L2学习者阅读了48篇简短的说明性文章，其中包含因大豆等目标与玉米等目标或一致对照之间的不匹配而造成的不一致。通过插入较短和较高频率的单词（例如经常插入）或较长和较低频率的单词（例如，插入）来处理文字处理难度越来越多。我们发现，较低级别的文字处理难度与较高级别的连贯性建设之间存在相互作用的证据，这可以通过减少过去时显示的不一致效果并在困难的情况下进行重读来揭示。但是，此效果并未扩展到针对不一致信息的定向回归。我们的发现为较低级别的文字处理和较高级别的一致性构建之间的在线交互提供了第一个实验证据。