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Group level and individual differences in second language sentence processing

ORCiD logo with link | University of Reading
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Available under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 license.

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Open Access publication of this article was funded through a Transformative Agreement with University of Reading.

Published online: 14 October 2025
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https://doi.org/10.1075/lab.24093.cun
Abstract
Variability at the group and individual level can inform understanding in second language research. For example, examining by-group and individual differences can play an important role in teasing apart competing theoretical accounts of first and second language processing. In this paper, I review existing research examining variability in second language sentence processing. Focusing on relative clause attachment, filler-gap dependency resolution and subject-verb agreement, I examine these three phenomena as case studies for how examining variability can inform key debates in second language processing research. I review variability at the group and individual level in both cognitive and linguistic abilities, language experience and proficiency, and in the linguistic environment. I also discuss methodological issues in generalizing findings across studies and in using psycholinguistic tasks to examine individual variation in language processing, which pose important challenges that need to be addressed if the field is to move towards an individual differences perspective of second language processing. Although the review focuses on three linguistic phenomena in second language sentence processing, the issues discussed are relevant to the examination of variability in bi-/multilingual language acquisition and processing more broadly.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
    • 1.1Variability in L2 sentence processing
    • 1.2Sources of variability in L2 sentence processing
    • 1.3This review
  • 2.Relative clause attachment
    • 2.1Relative clause attachment: Summary
  • 3.Filler-gap dependencies
    • 3.3Filler-gap dependencies: Summary
  • 4.Subject-verb agreement
    • 4.1Subject verb agreement: Summary
  • 5.General discussion
    • 5.1Theoretical implications of variability in L2 sentence processing
    • 5.2Which sources of variability influence L2 sentence processing?
    • 5.3Methodological considerations
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Acknowledgements
  • Note
  • References
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