The Influence of First Language Processing Mechanisms and Working Memory Constraints on Second Language Parsing in Adults. The reasons for the low success rate among adults who try to learn a second language (L2) are still poorly understood. This lack of understanding stems in part from our lack of knowledge about the relationship between the learner's first language (L1), what the learner hears and understands from input in the L2, and the development of second language competence. An urgent need exists for research on how second language learners actually process the L2 as they read and listen. Therefore, the major goal of the proposed research will be: (1) to develop techniques for investigating sentence processing in speakers of English as a Second Language (ESL); (2) to establish to what extent parsing in the second language is influenced by the first language (L1) in low to high intermediate learners of English as a Second or Foreign language in the domain of the lexicon and syntax; and (3) to assess the extent to which individual differences in working memory capacity affect second language parsing. This research will have implications in at least three sub-fields. First, it will contribute to the understanding of the influence of L1 in on-line second language sentence processing in the intermediate stages of acquisition; it will be relevant to current debates on the role of the L1 in L2 acquisition, and will contribute to an understanding of individual variation in L2 acquisition. Second, if it can be shown that L2 parsing is influenced by L1 syntax and working memory the results will provide an additional source of data for central questions in human sentence processing in general. Third, the results will have implications for instructional techniques in foreign and second language classrooms. The results will be particularly relevant to those researchers and teachers who advocate a focus on listening comprehension tasks that force learners to process difficult structures.
