ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews recent neurolinguistic evidence in the domain of L2 syntactic processing, focusing on how this research sheds light on critical issues in L2 acquisition, such as the role of transfer, the extent to which L2 processing is constrained by the grammar, and the extent to which L2 syntactic processing relies on mechanisms well-attested in native language processing, such as prediction. The chapter focuses on studies examining specific modules of syntax, such as basic phrase structure, word order, and wh-dependencies, discussing how this evidence contributes to our understanding of the conditions under which L2 processing is successful, both with respect to the characteristics of the learner (e.g., age of acquisition, proficiency) and properties of the grammar (e.g., L1–L2 differences). The chapter also makes suggestions for future research in this area.
