Reports the results of three experiments that used vowel and tone monitoring tasks to investigate the role of tone information in processing Mandarin. (Author/VWL)

Addresses the relationship in second language acquisition (SLA) research between theory and data. Suggests a potential problem for the field of SLA; a lessening rigor in data analysis where theory moves more into focus. Documents how the problem manifests itself in a specific area of research in SLA--syntax and morphology--then discusses possible…

Gives a brief characterization of the ways second-language acquisition researchers use the computer to elicit second-language (L2) production data or to record how L2 learners process L2 input. Eight tasks and/or techniques are described. Discusses the use of computer technology in ongoing investigations that pertain to the acquisition of…

Argues that, contrary to what is believed by many in the field of applied linguistics, phonology can and should be taught to adult learners. The argument is based on a critical analysis of research on the teachability of phonology in a second language and on an examination of the nature of adult phonological acquisition. (Author/SM)

Describes a technique for teaching the French prepositions "a and de" by explaining the syntactic process implicit in verbs that are followed by those prepositions. Outlines sentence structure based on several verb types. (MSE)

Evidence that native language acquisition is possible because children are born with an innate language faculty--universal grammar (UG)--is considerable. In second language acquisition by older learners, this notion is less clear. Discusses the poverty of stimulus phenomena (POS) in relation to this, and argues that while POS phenomena are…

Addresses the issue of how we know what learners know based on evidence from second language (L2) learners' spontaneous speech samples gathered longitudinally. Examines some of the problems involved in the analysis of spontaneous speech, with focus on second language studies within the generative framework. Considers the effects of the comparative…

Background: There is an increasing demand for the assessment of speech and language in clinical and research situations in countries where there are few assessment resources. Due to the nature of cultural variation and the potential for cultural bias, new assessment tools need to be developed or existing tools require adaptation. However, there…

In this experimental study, we focus on the following semantic universal: if a habitual clause reading, then generic pronominal subject; if an episodic clause reading, then specific pronominal subject. We argue that although this set of two conditionals is a universal property of all natural languages, English-speaking second-language (L2)…

This study investigated the representations that readers construct for narratives describing a sequence of events. Participants read narratives describing 4 successive events in chronological order (Event 1, Event 2, Event 3, Event 4 [E1, E2, E3, E4] Experiment 1) or in nonchronological order with E1 being mentioned in a flashback (E2, E3, E1,…

We investigate a unique attempt at working out a unified theory of second language acquisition (SLA), Carroll's "Autonomous Induction Theory". This theory integrates SLA traditions that often ignore each other and adds a learning theory where novel information gets created to resolve learning problems. Cognitive universals, modularity theory,…

A number of theories of second language L2 acquisition acknowledge a role for explicit L2 knowledge. However, the testing of these theories remains problematic because of the lack of a widely accepted means for measuring L2 explicit knowledge. This article seeks to address this lacuna by examining L2 explicit knowledge from two perspectives.…

An ongoing debate in Arabic morphology concerns the nature of the smallest unit governing lexical organization and representation in this language. A standard model maintains that Arabic words are typically analyzable into a three-consonantal root morpheme carrying the core meaning of words and a prosodic template responsible mostly for…

In 1986, while still at Harvard, I started teaching summer school at the Bread Loaf School of English, the graduate program in English of Middlebury College. Bread Loaf offers courses in literature, theater, and writing--here I fit in. I came to that job with a background in applied linguistics and cognitive development, but not in literature, and…

Two experiments investigated the effect of kanji morphemic homophony on lexical decision and naming. Effects were examined from both the left-hand and right-hand positions of Japanese two-kanji compound words. The number of homophones affected the processing of compound words in the same way for both tasks. For left-hand kanji, fewer morphemic…