Resolution of PP attachment ambiguities by Korean learners of English: Effects of linear distance and proficiency

Baek, Soondo. 2014. Resolution of PP attachment ambiguities by Korean learners of English: Effects of linear distance and proficiency. English Language and Linguistics 20.3, 35-58. This study examined the effect of linear distance and proficiency on L2 online resolution of PP attachment ambiguities in verb–NP–PP sequences, where the PP can be attached to either the verb or the NP. Forty two Korean college students of English contributed reading time data through a self-paced reading task. Test sentences were designed so that the PPs were construed with either the verb or the NP in terms of semantic plausibility (e.g.,The burglar opened the safe with a [large hammer/broken lock].). The length of theNP was also manipulated (e.g., The burglar opened the [safe/enormously big black safe] with a large hammer.). The results showed that VP attachment of the PP wasgenerally preferred over NP attachment and that the strength of the preference was larger for higher than lower proficiency learners. The effect of linear distance was reliable only for higher proficiency learners, who showed a weakened VP attachment preference with the increase of the distance between the verb and the PP. The results suggest that attachment preferences and linear distance effects in L2 PP attachment disambiguation should be understood in relation to the learners’ level of proficiency