Date of Award
Summer 2025
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Linguistics
First Advisor
Mila Tasseva-Kurktchieva
Second Advisor
Stanley Dubinsky
Abstract
Generative theories of language acquisition have been traditionally applied to second language (L2) learners, while heritage language (HL) speakers’ linguistic intuitions are currently under-researched, especially in less commonly taught languages like Russian. Extending the predictions of generative L2 acquisition onto HL research, this dissertation investigates the processing of specificity by L2 and HL Russian users. Within the epistemic account of specificity, also known as speaker intent to refer (Fodor & Sag, 1982), the speaker assumes the existence of an entity in the actual world and can identify this entity. In Russian, specificity is expressed through various morpho-syntactic structures. Previous research on specificity in Russian has relied on offline methods focusing on metalinguistic knowledge (Cho & Slabakova, 2015); no research has applied online methods that explore real-time processing of [+/−specific] structures.
Addressing this research gap, the current study compares the processing of [+/−specific] structures in Russian by English-dominant L2 learners of Russian (N=46), HL speakers of Russian (N=39), and Russian monolingual controls (N=24). Experiment 1 focuses on the processing of 1) nominal and adjectival modifiers denoting possession, 2) accusative/genitive case alternations under negation, 3) the numerals odin ‘one’ and xot’ odin ‘at least one,’ and 4) the particles -to and -nibud’ on indefinite pronouns, all functioning as a direct object in a post-verbal position. Experiment 2 aims to tear apart the effect of syntactic position (sentence-initial vs. post-verbal) and function (a subject vs. a direct object) on the processing of 1) nominal and adjectival modifiers denoting possession, and 2) the particles -to and -nibud’. In both experiments, online data were collected using a self-paced reading task. As participants read one phrase at a time, each experimental item included personal pronouns referential to either [+specific] structures (a grammatical context) or [−specific] structures (an ungrammatical context). Reaction times to the personal pronoun and the phrase following it were measured, with the assumption that ungrammatical [−specific] contexts should cause processing delays.
Linear mixed models were run to investigate the effects of language speaker group, language proficiency, and type of structure in Experiment 1. Additionally, for Experiment 2, linear mixed models explored the effects of syntactic position and function. Results revealed that L1 Russian speakers were sensitive to [+/−specific] values of each morpho-syntactic structure (p < .05). However, specificity manipulations did not impact L2 processing, regardless of the structure. HL speakers demonstrated some processing trends that matched native speaker intuitions, only in certain types of structures. However, these trends were never statistically significant. Results also found that the structure’s function did not significantly affect processing, whereas its syntactic position was significant, and a longer surface distance between the target structure and the referential pronoun caused more processing delays. Finally, the results did not reveal any significant effect of proficiency level on L2/HL linguistic processing.
Rights
© 2025, Angelina Rubina
Recommended Citation
Rubina, A.(2025). Heritage and Second Language Russian: Grammar Acquisition of Specificity. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/8362