Second language age of acquisition effects in a word naming task: A regression analysis of ERP data

In the present study, Chinese–English bilinguals were asked to name English words in a delayed word naming task while recording the ERP data. We explored the interactions between age of acquisition (AoA) of second language (L2) words and other variables to examine the origins of L2 AoA effects. The results showed significant L2 AoA effects on N400 and LPC, with larger N400 and smaller LPC for later-acquired L2 words. On N170, the L2 AoA effect was modulated by the orthographic neighbourhood size and the spelling–sound onset consistency in the left hemisphere. That is, the L2 AoA effect was significant for words with fewer neighbours and inconsistent mappings but not for words with more neighbours and consistent mappings. Our results showed that L2 AoA has an early and long-lasting influence on word naming, and these effects arise from both spelling–sound connections and semantic representation. These findings support an integrated view of the Semantic and Arbitrary Mapping Hypotheses.