Second Language Processing

The first introductory text to the field of second language processing, the book brings different research strands together, elucidating their particularities while also demonstrating how they interrelate. It explores the three major areas of current research in the field: phonological processing, lexical processing and sentence processing.

Nan Jiang is Associate Professor of Second Language Acquisition at the University of Maryland, USA. He is the author of Conducting Reaction Time Research in Second Language Studies (2012) and numerous articles in leading journals of applied linguistics, second language acquisition, and psycholinguistics.

Illustrations; Preface; Abbreviations; 1 Introducing Second Language Processing; 1.1 Introduction; 1.2 Characterizing SLP Research; 1.3 Recurrent Themes in SLP Research; 1.4 Conclusion; 2 Phonological Processing in L2: Concepts, Methods, and Models; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Speech Production and Acoustic Cues; 2.3 Cross-Linguistic Differences in Sound Systems; 2.4 Research Methods; 2.5 Models of L2 Phonological Processing; 2.6 Conclusion; 3 Phonological Processing in L2: Issues and Findings; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Language Interaction; 3.3 Age and Acquirability; 3.4 Other Factors; 3.5 Conclusion; 4 Word Recognition in L2; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Understanding Lexical Representation and Processing; 4.3 The L2 Lexicon; 4.4 Word Recognition in L2: The Role of L1; 4.5 Word Recognition in L2: Other Issues; 4.6 Conclusion; 5 Processing Complex Words, Multiword Units, and Meanings in L2; 5.1 Introduction; 5.2 Processing Complex Words in L2; 5.3 Processing Multiword Expressions in L2; 5.4 Semantic Processing in L2; 5.5 Conclusion; 6 Sentence Processing in L2: Parsing; 6.1 Introduction; 6.2 The Role of L1 in L2 Parsing; 6.3 Syntactic and Lexicosemantic Information in L2 Parsing; 6.4 Working Memory and L2 Sentence Processing; 6.5 Conclusion; 7 Sentence Processing in L2: Sensitivity to Morphosyntactic Violations; 7.1 Introduction; 7.2 Methodological Considerations for Assessing Acquisition; 7.3 Research Findings; 7.4 Understanding the Conflicting Findings; 7.5 Explaining the Morphological Congruency Effect; 7.6 Conclusion; Epilogue; Index