Second Language Acquisition Studies Research Articles

Validation crisitunity

Abstract Al-Hoorie et al. (2024: Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 1–23) illuminate a validation crisis within the second language (L2) Motivational Self System (L2MSS), revealing empirical flaws in its current measurement. Their analysis indicates a persistent lack of discriminant validity among the system’s constructs, issuing a fundamental challenge in distinguishing the concepts. These findings, echoing previous concerns, underscore a pressing need for theoretical refinement and methodological rigor within the field, leading the authors to advocate for a temporary halt in L2 self-studies to address these issues comprehensively. This commentary discusses the call for a substantive moratorium presented by Al-Hoorie et al. (2024: Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 1–23) as a necessary step toward resolving persistent challenges in the field. By highlighting historical issues and suggesting pathways for theoretical diversification and methodological advancement, I aim to foster a productive dialogue on motivational psychology in language learning while ensuring empirical robustness.

Unravelling the relationship between language anxiety and foreign language speech fluency in a monologue production

ABSTRACT This study investigated the interplay between language anxiety of advanced foreign language learners and their speech fluency measured with temporal indices. Language anxiety levels of 59 university level students of English were identified with the Input, Processing and Output Anxiety Scale (the IPOAS; MacIntyre & Gardner, 1994. The effects of induced anxiety on three stages of cognitive processing in computerized vocabulary learning.’ Studies in Second Language Acquisition 16 (1): 1–17. doi:10.1017/S0272263100012560) and the Post-Session Survey on Anxiety. The former informed about the levels of anxiety experienced at three stages of linguistic processing, hence, input anxiety, internal processing anxiety, and output anxiety. The latter was applied to identify language anxiety levels exhibited during a monologue production, reported as task-specific language anxiety. Speech samples from the performance were analyzed for fluency breakdown (the number of filled and silent pauses), speed of speech (articulation rate), and composite measures (speech rate). The findings revealed that the advanced foreign language learners with higher levels of internal processing anxiety and output anxiety used filled pauses more frequently. Furthermore, the levels of output anxiety and task-specific language anxiety were inversely related to speech and articulation rate. The study also showed statistically significant differences in the production of filled pauses and speech rate between advanced foreign language learners with low and high levels of language anxiety as measured by the IPOAS.

Causes of Interlanguage Fossilization and the Coping Strategies

Interlanguage fossilization is an important topic in the study of second language acquisition, which involves changes and solidifications in the language acquisition process that learners develop while learning a second language. The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of interlanguage fossilization, its causes and its implications in language teaching and education. This paper firstly introduces the concepts of interlanguage language and fossilization, and then focuses on the causes of this phenomenon, including both intra-individual and external environmental factors. Then, the paper puts the impact of the interlanguage fossilization phenomenon in language teaching and education, and how to prevent or slow down the occurrence of it through effective teaching strategies into discussion. Through an in-depth study of interlanguage fossilization, the language acquisition process of learners could be better understood, thus contributing more effectively to the development of language teaching and education.

The Effect of Recycling Vocabulary on Foreign Language Learning

The recycling method is frequently given a tiny proportion, if not neglected, in the practice of foreign language settings, although the multiple exposure strategy to language was given substantial priority in the theory and study of second language acquisition. This experimental study used a pre-and-post-testing design and a post-teaching intervention to examine the impact of vocabulary recycling on the learning of English as a foreign language. To assess the impact of the vocabulary recycling strategy, the researchers compared the experimental group of 33 high school student's vocabulary production on writing assessments before and after the intervention to the control group of 33 students with equal levels of homogeneity. The statistical differences in the post-test between the groups demonstrated that a vocabulary-revisiting strategy is compulsory for enhancing young learners' productive abilities, particularly writing. The derived conclusions suggest significant implications for pedagogical practices and pave the way for future research in this arena.

A Review of Research on Second Language Acquisition from a Positive Psychology Perspective

This paper reviews the research on second language acquisition from the perspective of positive psychology. First, it introduces the background and purpose of the study and discusses the significance of the application of positive psychology in the field of language acquisition. Then, the basic theories of positive psychology, including the core concepts and principles of positive psychology, are summarized. Subsequently, the theory of second language acquisition is defined and outlined, including the definition, characteristics, and related developmental theories of second language acquisition. On this basis, the study of second language acquisition from the perspective of positive psychology is discussed in detail. By combing and synthesizing the literature, this paper summarizes the current situation and trend of second language acquisition research under the perspective of positive psychology and puts forward some future research directions and suggestions.

Universal Grammar and Universal Grammar’s Influence and Related Theories Concerning Second Language Acquisition

Universal Grammar, represented by Chomsky, believes that the human brain is born with a Language Acquisition Device. Under the stimulation of the language environment, the language function of the human brain dedicated to language learning will be activated and begin to acquire a language. Universal grammar is the core idea of Chomsky's generative linguistics theory, which is composed of a limited number of syntactic principles representing the common features of human language. It is precisely because the human brain naturally generates this universal grammar that human beings can acquire their own mother tongue when language input is poor or even lacks "negative corpus" (that is, the indication of language errors or faults). Chomsky once proposed a simple language acquisition model, namely "language input —Language Acquisition Device —language acquisition", which means that language input generates grammar through Language Acquisition Device, thus acquiring language. It is worth noting that Chomsky's theory is not specifically designed for the study of Second Language Acquisition, and he himself has not given any guidance in this field, but it provides theoretical support for the theory of Second Language Acquisition (Yang Chunyuan, 2020). Hence, learning the whole semester’s course of Second Language Acquisition, having seen universal grammar as a important content in my textbook, this paper tries to integrate these related theories and make a conclusion and comment or paraphrasing（not all the bibliographies are quoted directly in this paper, paraphrased or arranged instead）based on various bibliographies.

农村初中生英语学习愉悦、焦虑及无聊情绪与英语成绩的关系研究

Based on the perspective of positive psychology, this article explores the status quo of students’ English learning enjoyment, anxiety and boredom in a rural middle school by investigating 203 participants in Grade two. From the data analysis, conclusions are drawn as follow: (1) Students experience a higher level of English learning enjoyment but lower levels of anxiety and boredom, while English learning anxiety is higher than boredom. (2) There is a significant gender difference in English learning anxiety, while there is insignificant difference between enjoyment and boredom. (3) There is a negative relationship between English learning enjoyment and anxiety, between English learning enjoyment and boredom and there is a positive relationship between English learning enjoyment and students’ academic achievements, and a negative relationship between English learning anxiety, boredom and students’ academic achievements. This study explores the relationship between foreign language learning emotions and foreign language academic achievements, which could further enrich studies of second language acquisition and the emotions of rural middle school students.

The Correlation between HUIT English Majors’ Short - Term Memory and Listening Comprehension Skills at Different Language Proficiency Levels

The study of short-term memory (STM) is crucial to the study of second language acquisition. STM plays an important role in language acquisition and development since it is an on-line capacity for processing and elaborating new information. A fundamental skill in learning English is listening comprehension. The ability to listen is crucial when learning a foreign language because receiving language input is the key to language learning. More and more academics at home and abroad have started to focus on the relationship between STM and listening comprehension in recent years. STM has been demonstrated to be a crucial component of listening comprehension, making it extremely vital to increase listening comprehension in second languages. STM helps in the immediate processing of incoming auditory information when listening in a second language. This essay investigates the relationship between short-term memory and listening comprehension skills of English - majored students from Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade. The results' implications suggest that improving short-term memory capacity is necessary to get students ready for the listening IELTS examination.

Signature Dynamics of Development in Second Language Sociolinguistic Competence: Evidence From an Intensive Microlongitudinal Study

AbstractThis study is the first to explore microdevelopment in sociolinguistic evaluative judgments of standard German and Austro‐Bavarian dialect by adult second language learners of German by using dense time serial measurements. Intensive longitudinal data (10 observations per participant) were collected from four learners at approximately weekly intervals over 3 months. We employed generalized additive models with superimposed periods of significant change to identify rapid developmental phases in individual developmental trajectories. By triangulating these models with qualitative introspective and retrodictive interview data, we identified environmental and psychological stimuli for change. Learners evinced increasing and decreasing periods of significant change, independent of length of residence. Dynamic constellations of identity‐ and agency‐related variables alongside more intensive social interaction with target‐variety speakers contributed to significant changes. We discuss findings from a complexity perspective and advocate for microlongitudinal studies in variationist second language acquisition to better capture stimuli for change in learners’ emerging multivarietal repertoires.

The Enlightenment of Monitoring Theory on Japanese Language Teaching

Krashen's monitoring theory is the most influential one in the study of second language acquisition, and the core part of it is the language input hypothesis, which provides many valuable teaching implications for foreign language teaching and has been applied to the 21st century. At present, Japanese Teaching in China is facing some challenges. This paper will explore the problems existing in Japanese teaching and put forward some effective strategies to promote the development of Japanese Teaching in China. I hope these suggestions can bring some new thinking and improvement to Japanese teaching.

Exploring Co-adaptation in an Ecosystem of Dyadic Interaction

In the field of applied linguistics, Diane Larsen-Freeman is widely recognized, among her numerous contributions, as the originator of Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST). Over the years since her seminal publication (Larsen-Freeman, 1997), CDST has evolved into a meta-theory that guides the field’s thinking on a variety of developmental phenomena, not least the study of second language acquisition. As its theoretical potency rises, so does the need to achieve a tangible understanding of CDST’s core constructs. In this paper, we empirically examine one such construct, co-adaptation, in the context of asynchronous dyadic interaction. A data corpus of 39 emails sent between two college students in China and the United States over the course of seven weeks is analyzed using NVivo 12. Co-adaptation is observed at the pragmatic, discourse, and linguistic levels. True to the spirit of CDST, we describe, and discuss the nuances of, our findings. Considering the novelty of our approach to data analysis, we end by reflecting on the limitations specific to our study, as well as worthwhile directions for future pursuits.

Uncovering Sampling Biases, Advancing Inclusivity, and Rethinking Theoretical Accounts in Second Language Acquisition: Introduction to the Special Issue SLA for All?

AbstractThe social sciences have grappled with sampling biases, perhaps most notably the prevalent reliance on convenience samples drawn from university student populations. Researchers in second language acquisition (SLA) have likewise taken steps to assess and address the scope of these biases and their effects on theory construction. This special issue presents a collection of replications and registered replication reports comprising one such initiative, titled SLA for All? The replications aimed to evaluate the generalizability of findings from foundational SLA studies, which were obtained with university‐educated participants, to nonuniversity participant groups. In this introduction to the special issue, we review and discuss the general failure to replicate the initial results, the complex notion of replication, and questions of research ethics. We offer an in‐depth reflection on how our perspectives, practices, and future plans have evolved and conclude with a vision for a more inclusive, diverse, and informative approach to SLA research going forward.

Quantifying the uniqueness and efficiency of the MLAT relative to L1 attainment as a predictor of L2 achievement: A conceptual replication

AbstractIn this conceptual replication of Sparks and Dale ([2023]. The prediction from MLAT to L2 achievement is largely due to MLAT asessment of underlying L1 abilities. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 1–25) utilizing a dataset previously reported by Sparks et al. ([2009]. Long-term relationships among early L1 skills, L2 aptitude, L2 affect, and later L2 proficiency. Applied Psycholinguistics, 30, 725–755.), L1 achievement scores over 1st–5th grades and L2 aptitude scores from the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT) in 9th grade were examined as predictors of L2 achievement for U.S. secondary students completing L2 courses in 9th and 10th grades. The study’s focus was on the uniqueness and efficiency of MLAT with respect to measuring L1 achievement in predicting L2 achievement. All L1 measures and MLAT predicted L2 literacy and language, and L1 measures predicted MLAT scores. Word decoding was the strongest overall L1 predictor, though there was variation across the L2 measures. The unique contribution of MLAT was modest, as the majority of total prediction (77–86%) was due to L1 measures. The efficiency of MLAT in capturing predictive variance from L1 abilities was moderately high (median ∼73%) but variable across the L1 and L2 measures. Findings are generally consistent with those of Sparks and Dale (2023) showing that prediction from MLAT to L2 is largely due to MLAT’s assessment of L1 abilities, even though a substantial amount of L2 prediction-relevant L1 variance is missed by MLAT.

A Study to Analyze the Fossilized Spelling Errors in Compositions of Second Language Learners at Intermediate Level

The errors committed by second language learners in their compositions have been the focus of current studies of second language acquisition, as these errors anticipate the difficulties faced by them in second language learning. The focus of this paper is to display the common errors in ESL compositions by intermediate students and the reasons behind these errors. Data for this paper was gathered through the administration of a questionnaire followed by a self-written composition. The analysis of the data was based on the classification of errors according to different aspects like vocabulary, spelling, punctuation, and grammar syntax. Subsequently, the qualitative data was then quantified. The results reveal that errors are inevitable. Gaining insight into errors would therefore highlight the difficulty faced by learners in L2 learning. It is therefore proposed that the learners must have sufficient exposure and training in L2 to incorporate language rules and to minimize the possibility of errors in their compositions. This paper can also help the teachers to be more conscious of the most common errors committed by intermediate students and to help the students get over the concepts in English that are difficult and problematic for them by offering relevant activities and practice material. Keywords: Errors, Composition, Second Language Learners, Accuracy

A Critical Review on the “Natural Order” of the Morpheme Acquisition: Three major Antithetical Views

One of the most contentious and widely discussed studies in Second language acquisition (SLA) theories is the study of morpheme order, which is then renowned as the natural order. As the study generates a number of supports, this paper critically reviews the studies of natural order and presents three major antithetical views against the existing beliefs: the ignorance of other linguistic phenomena, the claim that accuracy is equal to acquisition, and the fatal flaw of overlooking the influence of L1 on L2.

An Article Review: Revisiting the Moderating Effect of Speaker Proficiency on the Relationships among Intelligibility, Comprehensibility, and Accentedness in L2 Spanish

The current article review summarizes the main points and comments on Huensch and Nagle (2022)’s article published in Studies in Second Language Acquisition. Huensch and Nagle (2022)’s study is a replication of their research in 2021, exploring the moderating effect of speaker proficiency on the relationships among intelligibility, comprehensibility, and accentedness in L2 Spanish. Although lack of innovation, the study enjoys linguistic, logical and methodological strengths, as well as theoretical and practical significance. It also provides implications for L2 pronunciation research and classroom teaching.

Teaching Implications of Interlanguage Fossilization

Interlanguage Fossilization Phenomena is an observable phenomenon of interlanguage speech stagnation, which is universal, independent of age, gender, and time, and is an important feature in the study of second language acquisition. With the in-depth study of interlanguage fossilization phenomena, the research results on the causes of fossilization are more abundant, and scholars have made specific elaborations from various aspects such as psycho-cognitive, neuro-physiological, and social environment. This paper discusses the relationship between fossilisation and second language teaching from three perspectives: the causes of fossilization, the research methods of fossilization and the measures to deal with fossilization, so as to provide new ideas for improving the quality of teaching.

You Had Better Check the Facts: Reader Agency in the Identification of Machine-Generated Medical Fake News

During the COVID-19 pandemic, much fake news emerged in the medical field (Naeem et al., 2020: 1). Nowadays, computers can generate text considered to be more trustworthy than text written by a person (Zellers et al., 2019). This means that laypeople are able to produce disinformation; however, they may not understand the implications. This study revealed the most reliable clues as guidance to spot machine writing. While natural-language processing (NLP) research focuses on L1 speakers, studies in second language acquisition demonstrate that L1 and L2 speakers attend to different aspects of English (Scarcella, 1984; Tsang, 2017). In this study, social media users completed a Turing-test style quiz, guessed whether news excerpts were machine generated or human written (Saygin et al., 2000) and identified errors that guided their decision. Quantitative analysis revealed that although both L1 and L2 speakers were equally able to defend themselves against machine-generated fake news, L2 participants were more sceptical, labelling more human-written texts as being machine generated. This is possibly due to concern about the stigma associated with being fooled by a machine due to lower language levels. However, factual errors and internal contradictions were the most reliable indicators of machine writing for both groups. This emphasises the importance of fact-checking when news articles prioritise exaggerated headlines, and NLP tools enable production of popular content in areas like medicine.

BOOK REVIEW: UNDERSTANDING SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Lourdes Ortega's "Understanding Second Language Acquisition" was first published by Routledge in 2008. Lourdes Ortega is an internationally renowned scholar in the field of second language acquisition and applied linguistics. Her work has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of the learning and acquisition of second languages. Lourdes Ortega’s Understanding Second Language Acquisition is an excellent resource for anyone interested in the study of second language acquisition (SLA). The book provides an in-depth exploration of the key concepts of SLA and offers a comprehensive overview of current research, theories, and approaches. It is a valuable resource for both language educators and students alike.

A multimodal corpus to study videoconference interactions for techno-pedagogical competence in second language acquisition and teacher education

This article aims to describe the construction and annotation of a multimodal and multilingual (French, English, and Mandarin Chinese) corpus for the study of second language acquisition and professional development in language teaching. The corpus was built within a research project whose main objective is to determine which techno-semio-pedagogical competencies are developed informally and which ones require formal training. In this paper, we explain the theoretical framework adopted, characterized by an ecological approach to the interactive environment. We subsequently illustrate the procedures for the collection of audio, video and eye-tracking data. We also provide details of the annotation of raw data to produce a corpus of analysis drawing on different automatic and semi-automatic annotation tools. Finally, we explain how such a corpus enables us to study the development of learners’ multimodal competence and tutors’ techno-pedagogical competence and point to some other possible research questions.