The processing of subject-object ambiguities by English and Dutch L2 learners of German

This self-paced reading study explored how English and Dutch L2 learners of German process subject-object ambiguities in German and whether the location of the lexical verb influences on-line processing among L2 learners. Reading time results at the disambiguating region revealed a subject-first preference, regardless of the location of the lexical verb, for all three groups. This highlights the potential for native-like L2 processing. At the same time, however, differences emerged in reading times between the two L2 learner groups on later segments, suggesting that the L1 can influence L2 processing, even among advanced learners.