The Processing Of Chinese Formulaic Sequences:An Evetracking Study

There is mounting evidence that native speakers have a processing advantage with formulaic sequences compared to nonformulaic sequences (e.g. Tremblay et al.,2009; Tremblay & Baayen,2010; Conklin & Schmitt,2012). However, the processing advantage of formulaic sequences in nonnative speakers is controversial due to inconsistent research findings. The present study examines the processing of formulaic sequences (Chinese detachable-verb chunks) in an eye-tracking experiment. Chinese as a foreign language speakers and native Chinese speakers were tested with formulaic and equivalent nonformulaic sequences. The results showed that native speakers processed formulaic sequences significantly faster than nonformulaic sequences, while the processing of formulaic sequences by nonnative speakers demonstrated mixed results. Native speakers processed formulaic sequences significantly faster than nonnative speakers.