Neurolinguistic and Psycholinguistic Perspectives on SLA

Edited by Prof. Janusz Arabski, Adam Wojtaszek

Publication date:

23 December 2009

Publisher

Multilingual Matters

Dimensions:

210x148mm
6x8"

ISBN-13: 9781847692412

Neurolinguistic and Psycholinguistic Perspectives on SLA is a collection of twelve chapters, reporting on research results and presenting theoretical insights into the processes of language acquisition. It is divided into two major sections: the first part demonstrates the ways in which the latest developments in non-invasive techniques of brain monitoring allow researchers to test hypothesis related to biological foundations of language acquisition, including also accounts of emotional factors, limbic communication and evidence from language disorders. The second part offers psycholinguistic modelling of a number of components of second language competence, such as the acquisition of reading and writing, handling of foreign language vocabulary and the nature of bi- and multilingualism. It is a valuable collection for active researchers in the field, as well as for postgraduate students in language acquisition, psycholinguistics and neurolinguistics.

Introduction to the Volume by Janusz Arabski and Adam Wojtaszek

I. Neurolinguistic Perspective

1. Identifying the Neural Substrates of Second Language Acquisition: What is the Contribution from Functional and Structural MRI? - Maurits van den Noort, Peggy Bosch, Tarik Hadzibeganovic, Katrien Mondt, Marco Haverkort & Kenneth Hugdahl

2. The Critical Period Hypothesis: Evidence from Information Structural Processing in French - Robert V. Reichle

3. On Neuroanatomical Substrates of Dyslexia: With some Implications for FL Acquisition - Joanna Nijakowska

4. Emotion versus Cognition, or what Psycho- and Neurolinguistics Tell Us about Affectivity in SLA - Danuta Gabryś-Barker

5. Observable Strategizing: On Limbic Communication in Advanced Users of Language - Agnieszka Ślęzak-Świat

II. Psycholinguistic Perspective

6. Bilingual Language Control in Translation Tasks: A TAP Study into Mental Effort Management by Inexperienced Translators - Bogusława Whyatt

7. A Connectionist-enactivist Perspective on Learning to Write - Jan Zalewski

8. Cross-linguistic Conceptual Influence from a Bilingual Perspective: In Search of Research Paradigm - Jolanta Latkowska

9. On the Asymmetry of Verb-noun Collocations – Wojciech Malec

10. Gender Differences in L1 and L2 Reading - Liliana Piasecka

11. An Educational Language Community: External and Internal Language Use by Multilingual Students - Anna Ewert

12. Language Awareness in Using Cognate Vocabulary: The Case of Polish Advanced Students of English in the Light of the Theory of Affordances – Agnieszka Otwinowska-Kasztelanic

The compilation of articles in this book offers a view on the breadth of current research on second language acquisition and processing. Coming from a teaching background, the contributors provide reviews of a heterogeneous set of theoretical positions and research approaches. Some may find it eclectic, I found it stimulating.