Abstract: Morpheme refers to the study of the internal structure of words as well as the smallest functional component of a morphological complex word. Morphological processing, which is always unconscious, proposes that complex words are decomposed into their constituents that are based on symbolic rules. In recent years, the pattern of morphological processing of the second language learners has gained its popularity among researchers. In the domain of English morphological processing, researchers discovered that there are significant differences between English native and non-native speakers as well as between inflectional and derived morphology, though the amount of research for L2 studies is relatively small. The dual-mechanism model is consisted of two distinct representational systems and the corresponding processing mechanisms for morphologically complex words; the whole word pattern and the rule-based structured pattern. The native speakers tend to use a rather stable and efficient rule-based pattern, whereas the non-native speakers tend to face more problems and depend mainly on the whole word system. This article introduces a series of latest studies in respect to the pattern of morphological processing as well as the differences between L1 and L2 speakers in detail, provided that the possible causes underlie the L1 and L2 disparity and the possible factors involved that may influence the process in question. On the other hand, the inflected and derived words are the most important constituents of the English word system. Furthermore, researchers proved that the native and non-native speakers used the derived and inflected words in a significantly different way. As a result, this article compares the disparity of the morphological processing patterns between native and non-native speakers from two different perspectives, and identifies and exposes the critical debated questions. However, due to the dearth of L2 research, there are still many questions that remain unclear and require further research and thorough investigation.

Key words: morphological processing, inflected word, derived word, English

摘要： 语素是构成词汇的最小功能单位，是能够表达独立语义的最小成分。语素加工是指基于一定的构词规则，将语素复杂词汇进一步分解为多个语素，通过加工和重组语素，建构起对整词意义的理解。有关英语语素加工的研究发现，不仅母语者和二双语者的加工模式存在很大差异，对于屈折和派生这两种英语中重要的语素复杂词汇，其加工模式也存在较大差异，本文重点讨论了英语母语者与英语二语者对屈折和派生词加工模式的差异、成因以及影响因素。最后提出了今后需要进一步研究的问题。

关键词: 语素加工, 屈折词, 派生词, 英语