second-language-acquisition
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- PaperSystemForthcoming · 1 Aug 2026
How vocalization affects spoken word acquisition: The moderating role of phonological working memory
Xin Yuan, Xuan Tang
Vocalization affects spoken word acquisition, with phonological working memory moderating the relationship.
- PaperOpenAlex — TESOL researchForthcoming · 1 Jan 2031
Depth of Processing, learner aptitude, and the acquisition of L2 English grammatical structures
Shweta Nigam
This study investigated whether task-induced depth of processing (DoP) influences the acquisition of third conditionals and comparatives in EFL learners, and whether language aptitude predicts learning gains. Results showed a significant effect of processing condition on a grammaticality judgement test, with the High DoP Implicit group outperforming others on comparatives, but no significant group differences on an elicited imitation task after controlling for pretest scores. Overall, deeper processing benefits were structure-specific, favoring more salient structures on explicit measures, while complex low-salience forms showed increased frequency of use but limited accuracy change.
Original abstract
Depth of Processing (DoP) is central to several models of instructed second language acquisition (ISLA) (Leow, 2015). While DoP has been extensively examined in vocabulary learning (e.g., Laufer & Hulstijn, 2001), its role in the acquisition of grammatical structures, particularly through oral and audio-visual modalities remains comparatively underexplored. Drawing on the Levels of Processing framework (Craik & Lockhart, 1972), this study investigated whether task-induced processing depth influences the acquisition of third conditionals and comparatives, and whether language aptitude (LLAMA B, D, F) predicts learning gains. Using a pretest–posttest design, four intact classes involving 108 Grade 8 EFL learners in India were assigned to one of the three experimental conditions differing in level and type of processing: Low DoP, High DoP Explicit, and High DoP Implicit. The treatment task required the participants to listen to an audio-visual story containing the target structures (third conditionals and comparatives) and complete analytic tasks (varying in different groups) before listening to the story for a second time. The oral performance of the participants was analysed for accuracy, and frequency of use of the target structures. A grammaticality judgement test (GJT) and an elicited imitation task (EIT) were used to assess the participants’ gains in the knowledge of the target structures. In addition, language aptitude (LLAMA B, D, F) was measured and modelled as a predictor of gain scores. Results showed a significant effect of processing condition on GJT performance with the High DoP Implicit group outperforming the High DoP Explicit group on total scores and comparatives. In contrast, ANCOVA analyses indicated no significant group differences on EIT outcomes once pretest performance was controlled, with pretest scores strongly predicting posttest performance. In oral production, processing effects were structure-specific: the Low DoP group showed greater accuracy gains for comparatives, while both High DoP groups revealed increased frequency of use of third conditionals. However, across all four measures, multiple regression analyses indicated that LLAMA B, D, and F did not significantly predict gain scores. Overall, the findings support a processing-by-structure pattern: deeper processing benefits were most evident for the more salient structure (comparatives) on an explicit, written measure, whereas complex, low-salience forms (third conditionals) showed limited accuracy change but increased frequency of use under deeper processing.
- PaperOpenAlex — TESOL research22 Jul 2026
AI in language education
Jake Cummings
AI tools in second language acquisition promise efficiency and personalization but are often disconnected from authentic learning and equity. Teacher preparation programs lag behind, leaving educators underprepared. This chapter analyzes AI through Communities of Inquiry and Second Language Acquisition frameworks, finding that educational value depends on teacher digital competence and critical use.
Original abstract
AI tools are increasingly embedded in second language acquisition (SLA), yet their integration raises unresolved tensions between technological potential and pedagogical practice. While AI applications promise efficiency, personalization, and extended opportunities for interaction, these affordances are often overstated or disconnected from authentic learning, cultural exchange, and equity. At the same time, teacher preparation programs have been slow to adapt, leaving teachers underprepared to critically evaluate AI-mediated language learning environments. This chapter examines AI in SLA through the interpretive frameworks of the CoI and SL2, positioning teacher digital competence as a mediating construct between technological capability and educational value. Traditional SLA approaches provide historical context, while adaptive systems, chatbots, and GenAI are analyzed in terms of presence, interaction, authenticity, and cultural depth. Three themes emerge: Expanded opportunities for cognitive and social presence, persistent risks related to inequity, and the central role of teacher judgment. The chapter concludes that the educational value of AI depends less on technical innovation than on the preparedness of teachers to use it critically, ethically, and inclusively to design and mediate AI-supported language learning experiences.
- PaperOpenAlex — TESOL research22 Jul 2026
Second language embodiment in actor training through mindful practice
Kristýna Zinková
Applied Practice as Research with EAL acting students to explore how a second language can become disembodied and affect performative authenticity. Found that training linguistic awareness through mindful practices like Dialogical Acting enhances second language embodiment. Supports integrating deep linguistic embodiment into multilingual acting curricula.
Original abstract
At the turn of the twenty first century, the Embodied Cognition Theory emerged, positing that human cognition, including language, is inherently embodied. This theory suggests that even imagining movement can activate muscles similarly to actual movement, highlighting the mind and body as an interconnected system. However, it raises a question: are second languages also embodied? While this theory has intrigued performative sciences, more rigorous research is required. To investigate this matter, I applied Practice as Research as part of my Master’s Thesis at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Working with EAL acting students,I explored how, or why, a second language (English) can be “disembodied” and how this affects performative authenticity. My findings revealed that linguistic awareness may be a vital tool for enhancing performance. The research incorporated the Academy's practice Dialogical Acting with The Inner Partner, investigating how well awareness can be trained in order to increase the embodiment of a second language. By fostering awareness in second-language acquisition, including sound and rhythm in life-like situations, performers can deepen their understanding of linguistic systems and enhance their personal linguistic capabilities. This research supports integrating deep linguistic embodiment into multicultural and multilingual acting curricula, offering a pathway to more authentic performances.
- PaperOpenAlex — TESOL research21 Jul 2026
Language Development of International Adoptees
Elena L. Grigorenko
This chapter reviews the scarce research on language development in internationally adopted children, focusing on the role of age at adoption in second language acquisition, maintenance of the birth language, overall language outcomes, and the predictive value of language skills for broader development.
Original abstract
This chapter reviews research on language development in IA children. Compared to the extensive literature on attachment and mental health, as well as the substantial bodies of research on cognitive development and educational achievement, studies focusing on language development in this subpopulation of children remain relatively scarce. Nevertheless, the unique combination of factors shaping IA children’s developmental trajectories makes their language acquisition an important area of inquiry. In this chapter, I examine the existing literature with particular attention to: (a) the age at adoption and its role in second language acquisition and related critical periods; (b) the maintenance of the birth language alongside learning new languages; (c) overall language functioning outcomes; and (d) the predictive value of second language acquisition for broader developmental domains such as cognition and communication.
- PaperComputer Assisted Language Learning12 Jul 2026
Engagement without attainment? Exploring AI-assisted language learning through SLA theories
Murod Ismailov, Yuichi Ono, Thomas K.F. Chiu
This study explores how AI-assisted language learning aligns with Second Language Acquisition (SLA) theories, questioning whether engagement with AI tools leads to actual attainment.
- PaperLanguage Teaching Research9 Jul 2026
The Production Effect in Second Language Verb–Noun Idiom Learning: Evidence From Pure-List Designs and Transfer-Appropriate Processing
Ryotaro Hashizaki
Investigated the production effect in learning English verb-noun idioms by Japanese learners using pure-list designs and various learning conditions (listening, repeating, reading while listening, reading while repeating). Found that vocalization benefits are modality-specific: repeating and reading-while-repeating improved written form recognition, while reading-while-repeating enhanced spoken form recall, supporting transfer-appropriate processing.
Original abstract
Learners of a second language often vocalize newly learned items, and previous studies have shown that this practice facilitates the learning of single words and multiword expressions. However, these effects have been demonstrated only in mixed-list designs, where a single list of items is learned using multiple learning methods, and have not been tested in pure-list designs, where each list is learned with one consistent method. Moreover, prior research has relied almost exclusively on written recognition tests, leaving spoken-modality tests and recall measures largely unexamined. This study employed a within-participant, pure-list design in which each list was associated with a single learning condition, and each participant studied a total of four lists. The participants were 68 Japanese learners of English. Participants learned 64 verb–noun idioms assigned across four active learning conditions (Listening, Repeating, Reading while Listening, and Reading while Repeating), with 16 items in a fifth condition serving as a no-exposure Control condition. Learning outcomes were assessed with three test types (form recall, form recognition, and meaning recognition) administered in two modalities (written vs. spoken). In the written test modality, form-recognition performance was higher for the Repeating and Reading-while-Repeating conditions, whereas in the spoken test modality, the strongest form-recall gains were produced for the Reading-while-Repeating condition. These results highlight modality-specific benefits of vocalization and are discussed in relation to the strong-trace account and the transfer-appropriate processing framework.