Event segmentation tests have shown substantial overlaps in how adults recognize starts and endpoints as events unfold. However, far less is known about what role different language systems play in the process. Variations in grammatical aspect have been shown to influence event processing. We tested how closely first language (L1) speakers of Mandarin and English versus Mandarin learners of English as a second language (L2) align event boundaries with event‐internal changes. We used two event boundary marking tasks (online/offline) and a sorting task. Participants saw 60 animations; their task was to indicate starts and endpoints. For punctual events (e.g., breaking a wall), Mandarin L1 speakers and Mandarin learners of English L2 were significantly further from event transitions than English L1 speakers. This pattern was replicated in the untimed experiment but not in sorting transitions, jointly suggesting that Mandarin L1 and Mandarin learners of English L2 may be less attentive to segmentation of phases surrounding transitions than English L1 speakers. We argue that this variation reflects L1‐specific encoding of ongoingness.

中文翻译：

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按方面拉伸和压缩的事件边界：第一语言和第二语言中的时间分段

事件分段测试表明，随着事件的展开，成年人识别起点和终点的方式存在很大的重叠。然而，人们对不同语言系统在此过程中发挥的作用知之甚少。语法方面的变化已被证明会影响事件处理。我们测试了普通话和英语的第一语言（L1）使用者与英语作为第二语言（L2）的普通话学习者的事件边界与事件内部变化的紧密程度。我们使用了两个事件边界标记任务（在线/离线）和一个排序任务。参与者观看了 60 个动画；他们的任务是指示起点和终点。对于准时事件（例如，打破一堵墙），普通话 L1 使用者和普通话英语 L2 学习者比英语 L1 使用者距离事件转换的距离要远得多。这种模式在不定时实验中得到了复制，但在对转换进行排序时没有得到重复，这共同表明普通话 L1 和英语 L2 的普通话学习者可能比英语 L1 使用者不太注意围绕转换的阶段分割。我们认为这种变化反映了 L1 特定的持续性编码。