Assignment : Psycholinguistics

Submitted by: Saadia Kaleemullah

HUSS 19251031

Submitted to: Dr. SAM

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 Psycholinguistics.)

Scope of Psycholinguistics

• Acquisition
• Comprehension
• Loss
• Production
Why should bilinguals interest us?

1. Because we teach or will teach a second language.

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 Psycholinguistics.)

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
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 Psycholinguistics)

Levelt's Speaking Model

• Conceptualizer
• Formulator
• Articulator
• [Self-Monitor]

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.
Language Production Pre-Verbal Message

• Language-Independent Conceptualization
• Language-Specific Coding

Lemma
1. Semantic Specification
2. Syntactic Information
3. Pointer to a particular lexeme
4. Language choice

Design of Experimental Studies

• Language: L1, L2, L1/L2

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 w
• hat 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 Psycholinguistics.)

Language Maintenance Key Factors

1. High initial proficiency

2. Continuing contact with L2
3. Motivation (to seek opportunities to use L2)

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.