Processing tone-suffix interactions

Our minds constantly make predictions, and these predictions guide us when interacting with the world. A big question in the field of psycholinguistics is which types of cues can be used predictively during language processing. In Norwegian, different forms of a noun (e.g. reven/rever 'the fox/foxes') may have different suffixes (here -en/-er) but also different melodies (tonal accents; not marked orthographically).

In this project, we investigate whether and how listeners make use of the predictive function of tone during language processing. In a series of experiments using response times and Visual World Eye-Tracking, we aim to uncover whether tone is used predictively during morphological processing in Norwegian. We will compare speakers for whom Norwegian is the first language (L1) to learners with different L1s, with the hypothesis that prior experience with a tone system will facilitate the learning of tonal accent in Norwegian. The broader goal of the study is thus to investigate how multiple languages interact within multilingual minds. Moreover, the findings will have implications for the teaching of Norwegian, and we aim to develop didactic recommendations for teachers of Norwegian as a second language.