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Eye-movement benchmarks in Heritage Language reading

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2020

Olga Parshina Open the ORCID record for Olga Parshina [Opens in a new window] ,
Anna K. Laurinavichyute Open the ORCID record for Anna K. Laurinavichyute [Opens in a new window]  and
Irina A. Sekerina Open the ORCID record for Irina A. Sekerina [Opens in a new window]
Olga Parshina*
Affiliation:
College of Staten Island and The Graduate Center of The City University of New York
Anna K. Laurinavichyute
Affiliation:
National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russian Federation University of Potsdam, Germany
Irina A. Sekerina
Affiliation:
College of Staten Island and The Graduate Center of The City University of New York National Research University Higher School of Economics, Russian Federation
*
Address for correspondence: Olga Parshina, E-mail: oparshina@gradcenter.cuny.edu
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Abstract

This eye-tracking study establishes basic benchmarks of eye movements during reading in heritage language (HL) by Russian-speaking adults and adolescents of high (n = 21) and low proficiency (n = 27). Heritage speakers (HSs) read sentences in Cyrillic, and their eye movements were compared to those of Russian monolingual skilled adult readers, 8-year-old children and L2 learners. Reading patterns of HSs revealed longer mean fixation durations, lower skipping probabilities, and higher regressive saccade rates than in monolingual adults. High-proficient HSs were more similar to monolingual children, while low-proficient HSs performed on par with L2 learners. Low-proficient HSs differed from high-proficient HSs in exhibiting lower skipping probabilities, higher fixation counts, and larger frequency effects. Taken together, our findings are consistent with the weaker links account of bilingual language processing as well as the divergent attainment theory of HL.

Keywords

bilingualismheritage languagereadingeye movementsRussianchildrenL2 learners
Type
Research Article
Information
Bilingualism: Language and Cognition , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , January 2021 , pp. 69 - 82
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2020

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