(For the Meeting ID and passcode, please email jose.aleman.banon@biling.su.se.)

To the Zoominar

In this talk, we present findings from a series of studies investigating how exposure to cross-dialectal variation—arising from dialect contact and differences between regional dialects and standardized forms—shapes L1 language representation and processing. Using a combination of on-line (ERPs) and off-line measures (acceptability judgments, speech production), we examine how engagement with distinct varieties of Norwegian modulates language processing across diverse contexts, emphasizing individual variability in dialect exposure.

Our research addresses two interrelated phenomena: (1) how dialect contact influences linguistic representation and processing in individuals who relocate later in life to regions with distinct dialectal features and (2) how speakers process grammatical differences between their local dialect and a standardized variety (e.g., Norwegian Bokmål).

In the context of dialect contact (Study 1), Southern Norwegians (n = 55) who relocate to Northern Norway exhibit dynamic adaptation to Northern Norwegian-specific morphosyntactic non-/agreement patterns. Individual differences in exposure and engagement predict variability in the magnitude of the P600 (an ERP component reflecting sensitivity to morphosyntactic dependencies, such as agreement) and increased acceptance of local grammatical features, evidencing patterns akin to second language processing.

In dialect/standard bilectal contexts (Study 2), differences between Northern Norwegian and Sunnmøre Norwegian (Western Norway) dialects highlight how grammatical congruency with standard varieties (e.g., Bokmål) significantly influences reading processing. Specifically, in parsing predicate number agreement (e.g., bilene var rød-e/rød-, ‘the cars were red-PL/∅’), which is obligatory in Bokmål and Sunnmøre Norwegian but prohibited in Northern Norwegian dialects, Northern Norwegian speakers (n = 83) show significantly attenuated P600 effects and less accurate acceptability judgments compared to Sunnmøre Norwegian speakers (n = 73). These findings reveal evidence of cross-linguistic influence between contrasting unilingual varieties, where exposure to one variety affects the representation and processing of another, even within a shared language.

These findings reveal striking parallels between bilectal and bilingual language processing. The neurocognitive mechanisms that support the management of contrasting linguistic representations in bilinguals are equally engaged at the bilectal level, even for subtle cross-dialectal variation. This research probes the lower threshold of multilingualism, showing that given sufficient exposure, even narrow cross-dialectal microvariation is acquired and processed differentially, shaped by individual patterns of dialect engagement/exposure.

Maki Kubota

Jade Sandstedt