Lexically Independent Structural Priming in Second Language Online Sentence Comprehension

This study examined structural priming during online second language (L2) comprehension. In two self-paced reading experiments, 64 intermediate to advanced Chinese learners of English as a foreign read coordinated noun phrases where the conjuncts had either same structure or different structures. Experiment 1 showed that conjunct was faster when it first. effect occurred for structurally marked adjective (e.g., simple grasp problem) but only numerical trend less relative clauses problem grasp). 2 compared unmarked and vs. simple) found significant both. Together, experiments L2 comprehension could occur without repetition lexical head. Moreover, this susceptible inverse frequency effects, with frequent exhibiting greater priming.