The project investigates anaphora resolution—that is, the discourse strategies used to refer to previously mentioned entities through anaphoric devices such as pronouns—in Belgian-Dutch speakers acquiring Italian as a second language (L2) and those who speak it as a heritage language (HL).
While research has shown that anaphora resolution is particularly vulnerable in bilingual populations, direct comparisons between L2 learners and HL speakers remain scarce. By investigating the production, interpretation, and online processing of anaphoric devices across these groups, this project seeks to determine whether observed differences stem from bilingualism itself or are shaped by the age of onset of acquisition.
To provide a comprehensive account, the project will consider both language-internal factors (e.g., the syntactic construction in which the anaphoric device occurs and the subordinating conjunction introducing it) and language-external factors (e.g., language dominance and proficiency). By addressing these variables, the project responds to recent calls for a more individualized approach to bilingual development and enhances our understanding of how diverse acquisition contexts shape bilingual language acquisition and processing.