Time course of indirect reply processing in native and non-native Mandarin speakers: An ERP study

• Xiuping Zhang ^[1] ; Xiaoxi Pan ^[1] ; Yizhu Wang ^[1] ; Maoyao Xu ^[1] ; Adam John Privitera ^[2]
  1. [1] Beijing Language and Culture University

     Beijing Language and Culture University

     China

     
  2. [2] Nanyang Technological University

     Nanyang Technological University

     Singapur

     
• Localización: Bilingualism: Language and cognition, ISSN 1366-7289, Vol. 28, Nº 3, 2025, págs. 589-600
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1017/S1366728924000695
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • To communicate successfully, listeners must decode both the literal and intended meanings of a speaker’s message. This ability is especially crucial when processing indirect replies as intended meanings can differ significantly from what was said. How native and non-native speakers differ in this ability is an open question. The present study investigated differences in the time course of indirect reply processing in native and non-native Mandarin speakers. EEG signals were recorded while participants were presented with conversations that differed in their directness. For indirect replies, native speakers exhibited a larger left anterior N400 and posterior late positive component (LPC). Conversely, non-native speakers exhibited a larger left-distributed LPC and delayed LPC. Findings support that non-native speakers exhibit delayed processing of indirect replies, potentially because of cognitive resource limitations. Findings from the present study have implications for a broad range of investigations on human communication and second language processing.

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