Second Language Processing: An Analysis of Theory, Problems and Possible Solutions

by James F. Lee, Alessandro G. Benati

Overview

Second Language Processing examines the problems facing learners in the second language classroom from the theoretical perspectives of Processing Instruction (structured input) and Enhanced Input. These two theories are brought to bear on a variety of processing problems, such as the difficulty of connecting second language grammatical forms encoding tense and mood as well as noun-adjective agreement with their meaning. Empirical studies examine a range of languages including Japanese, Italian and Spanish, through which the authors suggest practical solutions to these processing problems.


 This monograph will be of interest to postgraduates and academics researching second language acquisition and applied linguistics.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780826495181
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	09/19/2007
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Alessandro G. Benati is Professor in the School of Education, University College Dublin, Ireland. He has held positions in several British and overseas institutions. He is known for his work in second language acquisition, and he published ground-breaking research on the pedagogical framework called processing instruction. His research on processing instruction has been recently driven by the use of new online measurements (e.g., eye tracking, and self-paced reading). Alessandro has coordinated national and international high-impact research projects which have been influential in determining educational policy and had an impact in providing effective language teacher training programs. He is the author and co-author of several research monographs, peer-reviewed articles in high-ranked jourbanals, and editor and co-editor of book series and scientific jourbanals such as Cambridge Elements in SLA and Instructed Second Language Acquisition. He was a member of the sub-panel for Modern Languages and Linguistics for the Research Excellence Framework for England (REF 2021), AHRC Panel, and he is an Honorary Professor at Your SJ University (UK), University of Hong Kong (China), Adjunct Professor at Macquarie University (Australia), and Visiting Professor at Anaheim University (USA)

Table of Contents

1. Input Processing Theory: The Processing Problems Facing L2 Learners
2. Research on Input Enhancement
3. Structured Input as Input Enhancement
4. Getting Learners to Process Non-Meaningful and Redundant Forms
5. Pushing Learners to Process Meaningful Forms Instead of Lexical Items
6. Directing Learners' Attention to Sentence Final Position
7. Conclusion and a Look Ahead
References