Language Acquisition Research Research Articles

The effects of gamified daily awards on digital vocabulary flashcard learning: A case study

Gamification in second language acquisition research is a popular topic but there are few empirical comparative studies in the literature. This quasi-experimental mixed-approach study enrolled volunteer Japanese university EFL learners to enable a comparison between two digital vocabulary flashcard learning software conditions carefully designed by the author; (1) the gamified group’s software had daily awards (i.e., consecutive day awards, medals related to daily participation, and a bonus point counter in an effort to encourage spaced spaced learning principles and discourage cramming) and (0) the non-gamified group’s did not. The daily awards had a significant effect in encouraging the gamified group to spread out their study efforts throughout the 12-week study period more effectively than the control group as they completed a lower median number of tasks per active study day (non-gamified: 104.76, gamified: 82.11; p= .021, r(75)= -.264) but studied on more days to complete a similar total number of vocabulary tasks (non-gamified: 2313.00, gamified: 2228.50; p= .601). Moreover, the gamified group significantly outperformed the non-gamified group in terms of vocabulary knowledge score gains between the pretest and posttest; p= .03, r(50)= .300. These results show the numerous and significant positive pedagogical impacts of gamified daily awards.

'Instructed Second Language Acquisition Research Methods' Laura Gurzynski-Weiss and YouJin Kim (eds) (2022)

Instructed Second Language Acquisition Research MethodsLaura Gurzynski-Weiss and YouJin Kim (eds) (2022).Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, 388pp.

Learner corpus research: a critical appraisal and roadmap for contributing (more) to SLA research agendas

Abstract Over the past decade, learner corpora have gained recognition as valuable data sources in Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research. This development can be attributed to significant progress in Learner Corpus Research (LCR). However, there is still substantial work to be done. This article highlights key issues essential for sustaining the relevance of learner corpora in SLA. More particularly, I focus on the need for more diverse types of learner corpora, stress the importance of detailed metadata, and advocate for multifactorial study designs. I then revisit ongoing debates regarding the role of the native speaker in LCR and propose a practical solution to address this thorny issue. Finally, I also readdress the need for improvement in the quantitative methods and statistics, arguing that the importance of robust quantitative analysis cannot be overstated. In conclusion, I envision an ambitious learner corpus compilation project that adheres to the FAIR principles, with the goal of further elevating study quality in LCR.

Investigating Chinese university students’ foreign language enjoyment and anxiety in the EFL class

Abstract Emotion research in second language acquisition has flourished under the growing influence of Positive Psychology in recent years. The present study focuses on foreign language enjoyment (FLE) and foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA) of 263 Chinese undergraduates in relation to learner variables as well as the sources of enjoyment and anxiety in the English class. Surveys with scales and open-ended questions were applied to collect data. Quantitative analysis revealed that learner variables, such as participants’ gender and their year of university, affected their FLCA but not FLE, while participants’ perception of their English levels was significantly linked to both FLE and FLCA. Furthermore, the uniqueness of Chinese FL learners’ FLE and FLCA was uncovered from participants’ narratives of their emotional experiences in College English class. The results of open-ended questions clarified that interesting teaching content, students’ good performance and progress, and well-designed classroom activities were effective boosters for foreign language (FL) learners’ enjoyment. Moreover, public speaking, the teacher’s random call, and peer pressure were closely related to spikes in students’ in-class anxiety. This study concluded with implications for EFL teaching, along with directions for further research.

Elicited imitation in second language acquisition research: New insights to advance methodological rigor (Introduction to the special issue)

This introduction provides an overview of the state of research on and knowledge about the use of elicited imitation in applied linguistics research, highlighting gaps in our current understanding of this tool. It then introduces the eight articles that comprise the special issue.

Advancements and challenges in AI-driven language technologies: From natural language processing to language acquisition

This paper explores the evolution and impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the realm of language technologies. We trace the historical development of language models in AI, starting from the rule-based systems of the 1960s to the sophisticated neural networks of today. The current state-of-the-art technologies, particularly transformer-based models like OpenAI's GPT series, are examined for their capabilities and limitations. We delve into the role of AI in language acquisition and learning, highlighting AI-driven language teaching tools such as Duolingo and Babbel, and discuss their effectiveness and challenges. Furthermore, the paper explores the significant contributions of AI in second language acquisition research, including the development of predictive models and sophisticated learner profiles. Ethical considerations and challenges, such as data privacy and potential biases, are also addressed. We discuss advancements in natural language processing (NLP) applications like text and sentiment analysis, speech recognition and generation, and machine translation, along with their cross-linguistic challenges. The conclusion envisions future directions for AI in language technologies, emphasizing the need for multimodal inputs, efficiency, and enhanced interpretability.

Fifty Years of Second Language Acquisition Research: Critical Commentary and Proposal

Fifty Years of Second Language Acquisition Research: Critical Commentary and Proposal

Complex adaptive interventions: The challenge ahead for instructed second language acquisition research

Abstract The effects of deliberately and selectively manipulating instructional conditions are at the heart of instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) research and, ideally, are designed to inform practice. Knowing how an intervention works, by what mechanisms and processes the treatment is beneficial—and for whom—are complex questions. In this piece, we problematize intervention-based research paradigms that do not account for context, individuals and their proactivity, or temporal variation. We highlight several key challenges that remain for ISLA research and propose a more reflexive approach to intervention that attends to these central considerations in implementing study designs.

Reflecting on the use of response times to index linguistic knowledge in SLA

Abstract Response times (RTs) have become ubiquitous in second language acquisition (SLA) research, providing empirical evidence for the theorization of the language learning process. Recently, there have been discussions of some fundamental psychometric properties of RT data, including, but not limited to, their reliability and validity. In this light, we take a step back to reflect on the use of RT data to tap into linguistic knowledge in SLA. First, we offer a brief overview of how RT data are most commonly used as vocabulary and grammar measures. We then point out three key limitations of such uses, namely that (a) RT data can lack substantive importance without considerations of accuracy, (b) RT differences may or may not be a satisfactory psychometric individual difference measure, and (c) some tasks designed to elicit RT data may not be sufficiently fine-grained to target specific language processes. Our overarching goal is to enhance the awareness among SLA researchers of these issues when interpreting RT results and stimulate research endeavors that delve into the unique properties of RT data when used in our field.

Investigating the relationship between metastrategy use and task engagement in an EFL context: a structural equation modeling approach

ABSTRACT Purpose: The significance of self-regulated learning (SRL) strategies has been extensively discussed in second language acquisition (SLA) research. However, their specific influence on EFL students’ task engagement has remained under-explored. To address this gap, this study analyzed the correlation and predictor power of different components of SRL metastrategy use and task engagement. Design/methodology/approach: To do so, two questionnaires were completed by 302 undergraduate university students in Iran. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to analyze the data. Findings: The results of SEM revealed a positive relationship among the underlying dimensions of SRL metastrategies and task engagement. It was also found that EFL learners’ use of SRL metastrategies could significantly predict their task engagement in different modes. Originality/value: Some conclusions and implications are presented in the study to promote EFL teachers’ and educators’ understanding of the psycho-affective side of SLA. The paper ends with theoretical and pedagogical implications that aim to promote understanding of task engagement in theory and practice.

Wortschatzerwerb – Wortschatzdidaktik – Wortschatzarbeit

Abstract Well-developed vocabulary skills are crucial for effective communication. Didactically speaking, it is therefore essential to explicitly foster the development of lexical competence in the classroom. This applies to both learners of German as a first and second language. The design of systematic vocabulary activities should aim to increase both the quality and quantity of learners‘ word knowledge and to ensure long-term retention of acquired words. While various approaches exist for teaching vocabulary in foreign language teaching, systematic and targeted approaches for supporting vocabulary acquisition in teaching German as a first language have yet to be established and, more importantly, effectively implemented in the classroom. Drawing upon findings from language acquisition research and linguistic models, we propose a framework for explicit vocabulary activities that facilitates the integration of new words into learners‘ mental lexicons (vocabulary breadth) and, in connection with this, promotes the development of semantic, relational, and formal word knowledge (vocabulary depth). The article will demonstrate how this framework was implemented in Deutsch Kindergarten, a new teaching resource developed in Switzerland. It will also highlight broader didactic principles, such as criteria for vocabulary selection and principles for vocabulary teaching, which should be considered in the classroom.

Third-Generation Heritage Spanish Acquisition and Socialization: Word Learning and Overheard Input in an L.A.-Based Mexican Family

This case study examines overheard speech in a third-generation heritage Spanish Mexican family. It presents Spanish use longitudinally and describes overheard Spanish word use in interaction. Transcribed on CLAN to create a plurilingual corpus, ethnographic video data consisted of 24 h across three sampling periods, yielding nearly 30,000 Spanish, English, and language mixed utterances. Quantitative analyses indicate strong Spanish use in the first sample, before dropping. Qualitative descriptions show the third-generation target-child’s attunement to overheard Spanish, and her agency to use Spanish. Overheard input helps her use Spanish words, influencing her social encounters. This paper examines what we coded as overheard input in heritage language acquisition and socialization research. The language practices of one multigenerational Mexican family in California are explored, accounting for how their language practices in multiparty interaction co-create meaning, and how they help a third-generation child use Spanish words grounded in daily experiences. The findings contribute to the discussion of bilingualism in general and definitions of heritage bilingualism in particular. The results underscore the understudied role of overhead speech produced by a diversity of multigenerational family members and word learning. Participation frameworks are dynamically constructed by all participants as permeable, inclusive, and engage the children’s use of inherited bilingual and bicultural practices, suggesting that heritage bilingualism is not just about abstract grammar.

The Influence of Critical Period Hypothesis on Children’s Foreign Language Learning

In the context of globalization, China has been putting more and more emphasis on "telling the story of China in English", and the status of English teaching has become more and more important. The critical period hypothesis is a theory put forward by Ellis, a foreign linguist, who believes that there is a golden period for language learning. During this period, children are able to master language naturally and effortlessly. An important aspect of second language acquisition research is the age factor. In general, children are more likely to succeed in learning a foreign language than adults, and children have a child advantage in second language acquisition. However, academics have different views on the age factor, and Chinese parents are also hesitant to decide when their children should learn English, resulting in a trend towards learning at a younger age. Is there really a critical period in foreign language learning? Is there really a critical period in learning a foreign language and is it closely related to age? Do children really have an absolute advantage over teenagers and adults in learning foreign languages? Therefore, this thesis will firstly introduce the proponents and opponents about the critical period hypothesis, and secondly explain the influence of age factor on foreign language learning. Thirdly, talk about why the age factor affects second language acquisition. argue for the optimal age for foreign language teaching. Fourth, discusses the implications of children's foreign language learning. Finally, it is a brief conclusion.

Empirical research in early infancy language acquisition: A nonsystematic review of literature

This paper unsystematically reviewed the journal publications written in English in the period from 2010 to 2020 on the topic of early infancy language acquisition. The review was through two aspects: language comprehension, and language production. Additionally, this paper also reviewed several frequently used and new research methods and tools. For early infancy language comprehension, empirical studies found evidences on infants’ comprehension of words’ meaning through sounds, especially the comprehension of nouns, the latter was proven to have relevance with nouns’ familiarity and cross-word relations in the nouns. Besides, empirical studies found evidences on infants’ distinguishment between concrete words and abstract concepts. An important factor to influence infancy language comprehension is the social environment that the baby was exposed to, mainly the mother’s speech and her daily life routine (for example, her work). For early infancy language production, empirical studies found evidences on infants’ ability to associate similar sounds with different objects, and measurement for infants’ language outputs were brought forward in another empirical study. Empirical studies also found infants’ language outputs match to words and objects from the environment. Lastly, this paper reviewed the most frequently used technical methods: fMRI and fNIRS technology for investigating neural mechanisms of infancy language processing. There are other new research methods, include large-sample database analysis and quantitative modeling, corpus analysis, language inputs sampling, language model for infancy language acquisition.

Developing Poetry-based Grammar Teaching Materials

Critics have been made regarding grammar teaching using the conventional Present-Practice-Production (PPP) approach. Second language acquisition research has also provided evidence that the above approach might not be the best approach to teach grammar, especially with now communicative competence being the goal of learning a foreign language. Despite the critics, many textbooks still adopt the PPP approach in grammar activities, leading the teacher to apply this method, as well. Therefore, this study aims at developing grammar materials that can provide grammar teaching with authenticity and encourage language awareness by adapting content-based instruction, in this case through a poem. Need analysis results from questionnaire and interview were used as a foundation to design the teaching materials. The result of this study offers ready-use a teaching material that is relatable, practical and authentic, developed based on target students’ need analysis. It may also help students study grammar focusing on meaning rather than form.Keywords: poetry, grammar, teaching materials.

A Multilevel Meta-analysis of Language Mindsets and Language Learning Outcomes in Second Language Acquisition Research

A Multilevel Meta-analysis of Language Mindsets and Language Learning Outcomes in Second Language Acquisition Research

SLA as an interdiscipline: A bibliometric study

Nowadays, research in second language acquisition (SLA) is becoming increasingly interdisciplinary while many technical frontiers and research hotspots have emerged. Many studies focus on interdisciplinary topics, but few in-depth studies have been conducted on interdisciplinarity. This study examined the interdisciplinarity of SLA and the interdisciplinary development process using a bibliometrics approach. The study has found that the SLA discipline has played roles as both the provider and recipient of knowledge in the development of interdisciplines. In the first case, SLA theories and methods flow into the research areas of life sciences and technology to form interdisciplinary studies with brain research, neurology, cognition, computer technology, and engineering, making SLA a provider of knowledge In the second case, SLA research receives knowledge from areas of arts and humanities and social sciences as well as from interdisciplinary studies within its own discipline, making SLA a receiver of knowledge. The new insights into the interdisciplinarity of SLA provided in this study are helpful for our deeper understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of the SLA discipline.

AAiMLL: Acquisition Advantages in MultiLingual Learners: The Case of the Multilingual Child

Cognitive science has demonstrated that multilinguals (including children) show a cognitive advantage over monolinguals. Linguistics has provided evidence that multilinguals (including children) are able to successfully separate their lexicons and grammars and negotiate multilingual environments. Apart from these achievements, linguistics has generally failed to demonstrate a multilingual advantage related to the multilingual’s linguistic proficiency. The present article summarizes the current literature, which shows that there are first indications of an acceleration effect in multilingual children. This effect is discernable if the languages radically differ, if the child uses a ‘weak’ language (often a minority language), if the child acquires more than two languages from birth, and if contact with the language exhibiting the acceleration effect is delayed until kindergarten age. This kind of acceleration effect represents an explanation gap under current theorizing in cognitive science and linguistics, and calls for a new language acquisition theory, a best-of-breed solution for further research in language acquisition. AAiMLL (Acquisition Advantages in MultiLingual Learners) combines cognitive and linguistic aspects with a threshold theory. It is claimed here that the multilingual child learns from two cognitive acquisition strategies. One is fed by grammatical features, and requires the child to (re-)use already acquired knowledge by generalizing to new domains. The other strategy enables the child to consider rejected alternatives of earlier decisions in one language, for use in the other language. An acceleration effect related to the multilingual’s linguistic proficiency is indicative of the success of both strategies. The success of the strategies is argued to be related to a threshold of language usage from a quantitative or a qualitative perspective.

Feature-driven new sound category formation: computational implementation with the L2LP model and beyond

One of the primary questions of second language (L2) acquisition research is how a new sound category is formed to allow for an L2 contrast that does not exist in the learner's first language (L1). Most models rely crucially on perceived (dis)similarities between L1 and L2 sounds, but a precise definition of what constitutes “similarity” has long proven elusive. The current study proposes that perceived cross-linguistic similarities are based on feature-level representations, not segmental categories. We investigate how L1 Japanese listeners learn to establish a new category for L2 American English /æ/ through a perception experiment and computational, phonological modeling. Our experimental results reveal that intermediate-level Japanese learners of English perceive /æ/ as an unusually fronted deviant of Japanese /a/. We implemented two versions of the Second Language Linguistic Perception (L2LP) model with Stochastic Optimality Theory—one mapping acoustic cues to segmental categories and another to features—and compared their simulated learning results to the experimental results. The segmental model was theoretically inadequate as it was unable explain how L1 Japanese listeners notice the deviance of /æ/ from /a/ in the first place, and was also practically implausible because the predicted overall perception patterns were too native English-like compared to real learners' perception. The featural model, however, showed that the deviance of /æ/ could be perceived due to an ill-formed combination of height and backness features, namely */low, front/. The featural model, therefore, reflected the experimental results more closely, where a new category was formed for /æ/ but not for other L2 vowels /ɛ/, /ʌ/, and /ɑ/, which although acoustically deviate from L1 /e/, /a/, and /o/, are nonetheless featurally well-formed in L1 Japanese, namely /mid, front/, /low, central/, and /mid, back/. The benefits of a feature-based approach for L2LP and other L2 models, as well as future directions for extending the approach, are discussed.

Japanese scientists’ English for research publication purposes

Abstract Error Analysis was developed by early Second Language Acquisition (SLA) researchers as a way to investigate interlanguage and better understand the second-language learning processes. While it is no longer an active branch of research in SLA, it remains a useful tool for those concerned with accuracy in language use. Given the elevated importance of accuracy in English for Research and Publication Purposes (ERPP), this may be one area where Error Analysis may continue to inform research and praxis. The high degree of language precision demanded in ERPP contexts can be a source of frustration for many engaged in scholarly publication, especially those for whom English is an additional language, such as the Japanese scientists studied in this paper. For Japanese scientists and possibly others, an empirical profile of their most frequent error patterns may help them to better deal with accuracy in research writing. With this motivation, this study applies a corpus-assisted error analysis framework to quantify sentence-level grammar errors and identify the most frequent error patterns in the research article manuscripts of Japanese scientists. A corpus of 53 research article manuscripts with 4,495 errors comprises the primary data. Additionally, two raters and a comparison of errors from scientists from six different L1 backgrounds are employed to triangulate the data and investigate the reliability and generalizability of the findings. Findings reveal that the top ten most frequent errors comprise 52.9%, or half of all errors in the corpus, and are dominated by errors with determiners and prepositions.