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In:New Frontiers and Connections in Second Language Acquisition: Selected Proceedings of the 17th Generative Approaches to Second Language Acquisition (GASLA-17) Conference
Edited by Tania Ionin and Silvina Montrul
[Language Acquisition and Language Disorders 71] 2026
► pp. 153–175

Understanding some in context

Inhibitory control predicts L2 sensitivity to QUD

 | University of Wisconsin — Milwaukee
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
Abstract
This study investigates how second language (L2) learners and native speakers interpret pragmatically underinformative responses involving the quantifier some, and how their interpretations are influenced by the preceding question under discussion (QUD). Specifically, it examines how QUD cues containing all or any shape expectations for scalar implicatures. While all primes an upper-bound (not all) interpretation, any supports a lower-bound (at least some) reading. Both L2 learners and native speakers showed sensitivity to these contextual cues, adjusting their interpretation of some accordingly. However, only L2 learners’ sensitivity to the QUD was modulated by individual differences in inhibitory control. These findings suggest that aspects of executive function facilitate learners’ ability to integrate contextual information, thereby supporting L2 comprehension of pragmatic inferences.
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Background
    • 2.1On the influence of grammatical context and QUD
      in the interpretation of some
    • 2.2Purported benefits of bilingualism on executive function
      and attentional control
  • 3.The study
    • 3.1Research questions and predictions
    • 3.2Experimental procedure and participants
    • 3.3Experimental design
    • 3.4Assessing attentional and inhibitory control via the Stroop task
  • 4.Experimental results
    • 4.1Data cleaning and analysis
    • 4.2Descriptive statistics
    • 4.3Inferential statistical analysis
  • 5.General discussion
  • 6.Conclusion
  • Acknowledgements
  • Notes
  • Reference
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