Introducing LexTALE: A quick and valid Lexical Test for Advanced Learners of English

The increasing number of experimental studies on second language (L2) processing, frequently with English as the L2, calls for a practical and valid measure of English vocabulary knowledge and proficiency. In a large-scale study with Dutch and Korean speakers of L2 English, we tested whether LexTALE, a 5-min vocabulary test, is a valid predictor of English vocabulary knowledge and, possibly, even of general English proficiency. Furthermore, the validity of LexTALE was compared with that of self-ratings of proficiency, a measure frequently used by L2 researchers. The results showed the following in both speaker groups: (1) LexTALE was a good predictor of English vocabulary knowledge; 2) it also correlated substantially with a measure of general English proficiency; and 3) LexTALE was generally superior to self-ratings in its predictions. LexTALE, but not self-ratings, also correlated highly with previous experimental data on two word recognition paradigms. The test can be carried out on or downloaded from www.lextale.com

The Role of Conflicting Representations and Uncertainty in Internal Error Detection During L2 Learning

Internal error monitoring as reflected by the error-related negativity (ERN) component can give insight in the L2 learning process. Yet, beginning stages of learning are characterized by high levels of uncertainty, which obscures the process of error detection. We examine how uncertainty about L2 syntactic representations, induced by different levels of language conflict, is reflected in the ERN effect during learning. German learners of Dutch performed a feedback-guided gender decision task in their L2 and were asked to give subjective certainty ratings for their responses. Results indicate that initially, high conflict items yielded more uncertainty and showed an inverse ERN effect, i.e., larger negativities for correct compared to erroneous responses. Two rounds of feedback resulted in an increase of behavioural accuracy, lower levels of uncertainty, and an expected ERN effect, signalling effective error monitoring. These outcomes demonstrate how subjective intuitions about response accuracy affect performance monitoring during L2 learning

Electrophysiological correlates of error monitoring and feedback processing in second language learning

Humans monitor their behavior to optimize performance, which presumably relies on stable representations of correct responses. During second language (L2) learning, however, stable representations have yet to be formed while knowledge of the first language (L1) can interfere with learning, which in some cases results in persistent errors. In order to examine how correct L2 representations are stabilized, this study examined performance monitoring in the learning process of second language learners for a feature that conflicts with their first language. Using EEG, we investigated if L2 learners in a feedback-guided word gender assignment task showed signs of error detection in the form of an error-related negativity (ERN) before and after receiving feedback, and how feedback is processed. The results indicated that initially, response-locked negativities for correct (CRN) and incorrect (ERN) responses were of similar size, showing a lack of internal error detection when L2 representations are unstable. As behavioral performance improved following feedback, the ERN became larger than the CRN, pointing to the first signs of successful error detection. Additionally, we observed a second negativity following the ERN/CRN components, the amplitude of which followed a similar pattern as the previous negativities. Feedback-locked data indicated robust FRN and P300 effects in response to negative feedback across different rounds, demonstrating that feedback remained important in order to update memory representations during learning. We thus show that initially, L2 representations may often not be stable enough to warrant successful error monitoring, but can be stabilized through repeated feedback, which means that the brain is able to overcome L1 interference, and can learn to detect errors internally after a short training session. The results contribute a different perspective to the discussion on changes in ERN and FRN components in relation to learning, by extending the investigation of these effects to the language learning domain. Furthermore, these findings provide a further characterization of the online learning process of L2 learners

The second language interferes with picture naming in the first language: evidence for L2 activation during L1 production

Previous research has shown that when speakers produce words in their second language (L2), they also activate the phonological form of the translation of the word in their first language (L1). Here we investigated whether this holds in the opposite direction, i.e. when participants speak in exclusively in their L1. In a picture-word interference task, speakers named pictures in their L1 Dutch (“mes” [knife]) while ignoring L2 English auditory distractors phonologically related to the English translation of the target (“knight”) or unrelated (“plane”). Naming latencies were longer in the related compared to the unrelated condition, suggesting that the L2 translations were activated up to the phonological level. However, this pattern was only obtained when speakers were addressed in the target language (Dutch) throughout the experiment. Moreover, the size of this effect did not depend on individual L2 proficiency. We conclude that co-activation of two languages is not restricted to the dominant language

The Second Language Interferes with Picture Naming in the First Language: Evidence for L2 Activation during L1 Production

Previous research has shown that when speakers produce words in their second language (L2), they also activate the phonological form of the translation of the word in their first language (L1). Here we investigated whether this holds in the opposite direction, i.e., when participants speak in exclusively in their L1. In a picture-word interference task, speakers named pictures in their L1 Dutch (“mes” [knife]) while ignoring L2 English auditory distractors phonologically related to the English translation of the target (“knight”) or unrelated (“plane”). Naming latencies were longer in the related compared to the unrelated condition, suggesting that the L2 translations were activated up to the phonological level. However, this pattern was only obtained when speakers were addressed in the target language (Dutch) throughout the experiment. Moreover, the size of this effect did not depend on individual L2 proficiency. We conclude that co-activation of two languages is not restricted to the dominant language

The second language interferes with picture naming in the first language: evidence for L2 activation during L1 production

<p>Previous research has shown that when speakers produce words in their second language (L2), they also activate the phonological form of the translation of the word in their first language (L1). Here we investigated whether this holds in the opposite direction, i.e. when participants speak in exclusively in their L1. In a picture-word interference task, speakers named pictures in their L1 Dutch (<i>“mes”</i> [knife]) while ignoring L2 English auditory distractors phonologically related to the English translation of the target (<i>“knight”</i>) or unrelated (<i>“plane”</i>). Naming latencies were longer in the related compared to the unrelated condition, suggesting that the L2 translations were activated up to the phonological level. However, this pattern was only obtained when speakers were addressed in the target language (Dutch) throughout the experiment. Moreover, the size of this effect did not depend on individual L2 proficiency. We conclude that co-activation of two languages is not restricted to the dominant language.</p

Another cup of TEE? The processing of second language near-cognates in first language reading^*

<p>A still unresolved issue is in how far native language (L1) processing in bilinguals is influenced by the second language (L2). We investigated this in two word recognition experiments in L1, using homophonic near-cognates that are spelled in L2. In a German lexical decision task (Experiment 1), German-Dutch bilinguals had more difficulties to reject these Dutch-spelled near-cognates than other misspellings, while this was not the case for non-Dutch speaking Germans. In Experiment 2, the same materials were embedded in German sentences. Analyses of eye movements during reading showed that only non-Dutch speaking Germans, but not Dutch-speaking participants were slowed down by the Dutch cognate misspellings. Additionally, in both experiments, bilinguals with larger vocabulary sizes in Dutch tended to show larger near-cognate effects. Thus, Dutch word knowledge influenced word recognition in L1 German in both task contexts, suggesting that L1 word recognition in bilinguals is non-selective with respect to L2.</p

Learning second language morphosyntax in dialogue under explicit and implicit conditions: An experimental study with advanced adult learners of German - Supplemetary materials

Supplementary materials for the paper: "Learning second language morphosyntax in dialogue under explicit and implicit conditions: An experimental study with advanced adult learners of German"