273 research outputs found
Second-language acquisition research in the labatory: possibilities and limitations
This paper discusses some possibilities and limitations of laboratory research methods for
testing theories of second language acquisition. The paper includes a review of 20 experimental
lab studies. The review focuses on the motivation for conducting lab studies, the use of artificial
or semiartificial language structures, and various design features (including pre- and posttesting,
number of subjects, random subject assignment, between- and within-subjects comparisons,
treatment materials and procedures). The paper calls for lab studies addressing issues central to
SLA theory (“learning” vs. “acquisition”) and ends with some
methodological recommendations, concerning the length of experimental treatments, the use of
grammaticality judgment tasks, the measurement of reaction times, and the use of retrospective
interviews.</jats:p
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