Psycholinguistics

Psycholinguistics is the study of the

cognitive processes that support the
acquisition and use of language.
The scope of psycholinguistics
includes language performance
under normal circumstances and
when it breaks down
De Bot, Kees and Judith F. Kroll. 2010. Psycholinguistics. In Norbert
Schmitt, editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition,
Chapter 8, pp. 124-142. London: Hodder Education, p. 124.

Scope of Psycholinguistics
Acquisition

Comprehension

Loss

Production

Scovel, Thomas. 1998. Psycholinguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 5.

Why should bilinguals

interest us? 1
1. Because we teach or will teach a
second language.

Why should bilinguals

interest us? 2
2. Because bilinguals outnumber
monolinguals in the world's population,
bilinguals more than monolinguals
provide a genuinely universal account
of the cognitive mechanisms that
underlie language performance.
De Bot, Kees and Judith F. Kroll. 2010. Psycholinguistics. In Norbert
Schmitt, editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition,
Chapter 8, pp. 124-142. London: Hodder Education, p. 124.

Psycholinguistic Assumptions
1. Cognitive processes for learners and
competent bilinguals the same
2. Cognitive processes basically the
same across languages
3. Cognitive processes available to all
learners
De Bot, Kees and Judith F. Kroll. 2010. Psycholinguistics. In Norbert
Schmitt, editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition,
Chapter 8, pp. 124-142. London: Hodder Education, pp. 124-125.

Purpose of Theories or Models

In psycholinguistics, researchers try to
develop models to describe and preferably
predict specific linguistic behaviour. The
aim is to capture all aspects of language
use. Ultimately, the goal is to have a model
that describes how language is processed
in our brains
De Bot, Kees and Judith F. Kroll. 2010. Psycholinguistics. In Norbert
Schmitt, editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition,
Chapter 8, pp. 124-142. London: Hodder Education, pp. 125-126.

Levelt's Speaking Model

Conceptualizer

Formulator

Articulator

[Self-Monitor]

De Bot, Kees and Judith F. Kroll. 2010. Psycholinguistics. In Norbert

Schmitt, editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition,
Chapter 8, pp. 124-142. London: Hodder Education, p. 126.

Characteristics
of L2 Production
1. L2 knowledge is typically incomplete
2. L2 speech is more hesitant, and
contains more errors and slips
3. L2 speech often carries traces of the
L1.
De Bot, Kees and Judith F. Kroll. 2010. Psycholinguistics. In Norbert
Schmitt, editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition,
Chapter 8, pp. 124-142. London: Hodder Education, p. 127.

Language Production
Pre-Verbal Message
Language-Independent Conceptualization

Language-Specific Coding

De Bot, Kees and Judith F. Kroll. 2010. Psycholinguistics. In Norbert

Schmitt, editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition,
Chapter 8, pp. 124-142. London: Hodder Education, pp. 128-129.

Lemma
1. Semantic Specification
2. Syntactic information
3. Pointer to a particular lexeme
4. Language choice
De Bot, Kees and Judith F. Kroll. 2010. Psycholinguistics. In Norbert
Schmitt, editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition,
Chapter 8, pp. 124-142. London: Hodder Education, p. 129.

Design of Experimental
Studies

Language:
L2
L1/L2

L1

Scope:
Comprehension
Production / Use
Acquisition
Loss

Task:
Name pictures
Judge statement

Measure: Response Time

Accuracy

Summarizing a Study

Article:
Study:
Language(s):
Subjects:
Time:
Task(s):
Measure:
Findings:
Conclusion:
Memorable quotes:

Summarizing a Study
(Expanded)
ALWAYS INCLUDE PAGE NUMBERS (and maybe column)
Article:
(complete bibliographic info)
Study:
(about what)
Language(s):
Subjects:
(EVERYTHING)
Time:
(date, time of school year, over what
period of time)
Task(s):
(what did subjects have to do?)
Measure:
(what was measured?)
Findings:
Conclusion:
(including implications, suggestions)
Memorable quotes: (quotes you really liked that you MIGHT
want to use when you write up YOUR study)

Savings Methods and

Vocabulary Relearning
Of the de Bot & Stoessel (2000) experiment:
These findings can be used to help language
learners who learned a second language at
some point in the past reactivate the language
they feel they have forgotten. The data show
that very short relearning activities (presenting
words in L1 and their translation in L2 for six
seconds per pair) lead to high retention scores
for such once-learned words.
De Bot, Kees and Judith F. Kroll. 2010. Psycholinguistics. In Norbert
Schmitt, editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition,
Chapter 8, pp. 124-142. London: Hodder Education, p. 137.

Language Maintenance
Key Factors
1. High initial proficiency
2. Continuing contact with L2
3. Motivation (to seek opportunities to
use L2)
De Bot, Kees and Judith F. Kroll. 2010. Psycholinguistics. In Norbert
Schmitt, editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition,
Chapter 8, pp. 124-142. London: Hodder Education, p. 137.

Implications of Psycholinguistic
Studies on Second Language
1. Accessibility of L2 linguistic elements
depends on acquisition, storage, and
automatic retrieval.
2. L2 linguistic knowledge is not stable.
3. L2 acquisition does not have negative
consequences for cognitive processing.
De Bot, Kees and Judith F. Kroll. 2010. Psycholinguistics. In Norbert
Schmitt, editor, An Introduction to Applied Linguistics, 2nd edition,
Chapter 8, pp. 124-142. London: Hodder Educationp, p. 137-138.

Possible Research Topics 1

1. Language attrition and more on
reactivation old language knowledge.
(Follow-up on Mary Lius study.)
2. Assessment of relative proficiency for
bilingual Taiwanese. Measure the time
subjects wait until they begin to say the
name (in L1 or L2) of what they see in a
picture.

Possible Research Topics 2

3. Determine if Chinese-English bilinguals
show language is non-selective in
comprehension tasks.
4. Promoting automaticity.
5. Examine possible benefits of training
subjects to access linguistic elements as
quickly as possible a la Hulstijn &
friends.

Possible Research Topics 3

6. Promoting depth of learning.
7. Code switching.
8. Gestures.