In this study, we report the results of two self-paced reading experiments that investigated working memory capacity effects on the processing of globally ambiguous relative clauses by advanced Korean second language (L2) learners of English. Consistent with previous monolingual literature on the processing of temporary ambiguity, we found that…

We report on a study of first-exposure learners with different first languages (L1s: English, Japanese) to examine their ability to process input for form and meaning. We used a rich set of tasks to tap respectively into processing, comprehension, imitation, and working memory. We show that there are advantages to having a first language (L1) that…

This case study investigated the vocabulary knowledge gains made by an adult learner of English as a result of performing a read and tell task. It found that the quality of vocabulary use, or a higher level of generation, appeared to have had a significant effect on vocabulary acquisition. (15 references) (MDM)

Examination of memorization strategies, cerebral dominance and lateralizations, and other characteristics of two adults who acquired second language fluency after puberty supported hypotheses concerning neurocognitive flexibility as a substrate underlying talent for second language learning. (CB)

Ways in which studies in second-language acquisition research can illuminate first-language acquisition research are explored. Emphasis is on issues of learner strategies, individual variation, acquisition of late learned structures, bilingualism, Universal Grammar, and the fate of obsolete knowledge in acquisition. (64 references) (Author/LB)

An exploratory application of the "acquisitional strategies" framework investigated English-speaking language learners' acquisition of preposition stranding in Dutch. Interesting syntactic and morphological contrasts in both English and Dutch render the framework a valuable empirical tool for evaluating language acquisition strategies. (Author/CB)

Compares the acquisition of the syntax of negation in first-language development and second-language acquisition, particularly the acquisition of colloquial French and German by native speakers of Spanish. The comparison is intended to shed light on the principles and mechanisms underlying first- and second-language development. (67 references)…

This article uses diary data to examine a British learner's self-study experience of Hungarian, with reference to lexis. From this learner's experience, it is suggested that building a working lexicon is the single most important task facing the learner. (40 references) (MDM)

Investigation of the monitoring behavior of Turkish children speaking Dutch as a second language found that subjects' use repairs increased or decreased with a certain age. A positive relationship was found between monitoring use and subjects' cognitive skills and second language proficiency. (27 references) (Author/CB)

Examines the claim that some students of English as a Second Language allow English reflexives to be bound by long-distance (LD) antecedents even when such LD binding is underdetermined for these learners with respect to their first-language grammar(s) and the second-language input. The article discusses why the claim's underlying data do not…