“Bread and butter” or “butter and bread”? Nonnatives’ processing of novel lexical patterns in context

Abstract Little is known about how nonnative speakers process novel language patterns in the input they encounter. The present study examines whether nonnatives develop a sensitivity to binomials and their ordering preference from context. Thirty-nine of English (L1 Arabic) read three short stories seeded with existing ( black white ) ones bags coats while eye movements were monitored. appeared once forward (conventional) form reversed form. experimentally defined different frequency conditions (two vs. four encounters) Results showed no advantage for over forms. For binomials, subsequent encounters significantly faster than initial both conditions. More importantly, final also led reading, suggesting that L2 binomial as another encounter, ignoring established order.