Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant: Morphosyntactic Development in a Second Language: An eye tracking study of the role of attention

University Of Illinois At Chicago, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

Understanding the factors that influence language acquisition--not only in the case of a learner's first (or native) language, but also in the case of second language acquisition--is an important goal of research on human language and communication. Learning a second language is arguably one of the most complex learning tasks for the adult mind and results in great variability in attainment of the second language, particularly for grammar. One cognitive factor that may account for this variability is attention. It has been widely assumed, under both theoretical and applied perspectives on second language learning, that attention to grammatical forms leads to acquisition of those forms. However, there is scant direct empirical evidence to support this claim in the field. In contrast, research in the field of cognitive science has produced ample evidence that suggests that attention is crucial for various types of cognitive operations, including learning. Thus, our understanding of attention in second language learning may be further elucidated by adopting theoretical perspectives, such as the distinction between external attention (cued by properties of the object itself) and internal attention (cued by task manipulations related to the object), and by the use of experimental methods from cognitive science, such as eye tracking, to examine this distinction. Under the direction of Dr. Kara Short, Bernard Issa's dissertation project implements such an innovative approach to address the following questions: (i) Does increased attention to particular second language grammatical forms lead to increased learning of those forms? (ii) Are there differential effects of external and internal attention on second language learning? To answer these questions, the eye-movements of novice learners of Spanish will be recorded as an index of attention while learning a new grammatical form under either external or internal manipulations of attention. The results from this interdisciplinary project are expected to provide novel, direct evidence for the role of attention in second language learning, lead to a greater understanding of attention in learning more generally, and have direct implications for pedagogy. Finally, this project will further opportunities for involvement, training, and interdisciplinary collaborations in research for a graduate student and for undergraduate researcher assistants, who are likely to come from underrepresented groups in cognitive science.