Effect of proficiency on subject-verb agreement processing in French learners of English: An ERP study

Abstract

This study explored the effect of proficiency on the native-likeness of syntactic processing in a second language. ERP responses to violations of third-person singular subject-verb agreement were obtained from advanced and intermediate adult French learners of English as well as English native speakers. Our findings show a proficiency effect only in early ERP responses to violations, and suggest that the highest level of proficiency attainable through instruction in France is not enough to exhibit entirely native-like responses.