1. Experimental syntax and Slavic languagesArthur Stepanov, 2021, independent scientific component part or a chapter in a monograph Abstract: The chapter reviews a number of empirical domains that recently came into the focus of research in Slavic experimental syntax, including island phenomena, syntactic Superiority effects, various types of agreement, word order, and scope interaction, among others. This research mostly relies on sentence acceptability experiments applied across larger pools of participants, but the chapter also reviews selected studies using related experimental methods (e.g. elicited production and sentence–picture verification). The chapter concludes by identifying a number of conceptual issues in syntactic theory, for which we believe Slavic experimental syntax has a potential to make a particularly strong contribution.
Keywords: experimental syntax, Slavic language, syntactic island, unaccusativity, information structure, superiority effect, case matching, agreement, numeral phrase
Published in RUNG: 20.12.2021; Views: 1898; Downloads: 15
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2. Anomaly detection in processing of complex syntax by early L2 learnersArthur Stepanov, Sara Andreetta, Penka Stateva, Adam Zawiszewski, Itziar Laka, 35, original scientific article Abstract: This study investigates the processing of long-distance syntactic dependencies by native speakers of Slovenian (L1) who are advanced learners of Italian as a second language (L2), compared with monolingual Italian speakers. Using a self-paced reading task, we compare sensitivity of the early-acquired L2 learners to syntactic anomalies in their L2 in two empirical domains: (1) syntactic islands, for which the learners’ L1 and L2 grammars provide a converging characterization, and (2) verb–clitic constructions, for which the respective L1 and L2 grammatical descriptions diverge. We find that although our L2 learners show native-like processing patterns in the former, converging, grammatical domain, they may nevertheless perform non-native-like with respect to syntactic phenomena in which the L1 and L2 grammars do not align, despite the early age of L2 acquisition. Implications for theories of L2 acquisition and endstate are discussed.
Keywords: bilingualism, clitic, Italian, sentence processing, Slovenian, syntactic island
Published in RUNG: 21.02.2019; Views: 3814; Downloads: 113
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3. Two (non-)islands in Slovenian : A study in experimental syntaxArthur Stepanov, Manca Mušič, Penka Stateva, 2018, original scientific article Abstract: There exists a controversy in the literature and among the speakers of Slovenian concerning the grammaticality of wh-island and subject island constructions in this language. We conducted an acceptability rating study of wh-islands and subject islands in Slovenian, using the factorial definition of island. This definition provides for a possibility to isolate a true island effect while controlling for two complexity factors that potentially interfere in speakers’ evaluation of the relevant sentences: the length of the respective movement dependency and the presence of an island structure itself. We found that (i) Slovenian speakers do judge the wh-island sentences worse than the respective controls, but the observed degradation cannot be attributed to a true island effect; (ii) subject extraction out of a wh-island leads to a so called reverse island effect whereby the acceptability is higher than expected even if the above two complexity factors are taken into consideration; and (iii) speakers are sensitive to the subject island effect, as predicted by the mainstream theories of syntactic locality. The results of our study contribute to establishing a solid empirical base for further theoretical investigations of the island effects and raise new questions about the role of processing factors in speakers’ evaluations of island constructions.
Keywords: syntactic island, experimental syntax, Subjacency, Empty Category Principle, Slovenian
Published in RUNG: 11.06.2018; Views: 4205; Downloads: 0
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4. ASYMMETRIES IN SUB-EXTRACTION OUT OF NP IN SLOVENIAN : A MAGNITUDE ESTIMATION STUDYArthur Stepanov, Manca Mušič, Penka Stateva, 2016, original scientific article Abstract: In this work, we aim to clarify the empirical paradigm that bears on two aspects of syntactic locality in Slovenian. First, building on previous work, we investigate how
robustly Slovenian observes the syntactic locality constraint precluding constituent sub-extraction out of subject noun phrases. Second, we ask whether Slovenian allows Left Branch Extraction in interrogative and non-interrogative sentences. To elucidate both issues, we conducted a magnitude estimation study, the results of which support our previous claim that there is a subject island effect in Slovenian. Furthermore,
our results suggest that Slovenian disallows Left Branch Extraction, in contrast with some other Slavic languages. We also discuss theoretical consequences of our empirical findings.
Keywords: syntactic island, Left Branch extraction, magnitude estimation, Slovenian
Published in RUNG: 03.01.2017; Views: 4799; Downloads: 251
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