The ways that children and adults use their limited cognitive processes in comprehending the complex input of a second language are discussed, and an information-processing approach to second-language learning is proposed and supported in a number of areas of second language research. Implications for research and teaching are examined. (MSE)

A study of linguistic judgment tasks and lexical decision tasks among English-German bilinguals supports the hypotheses that bilinguals have knowledge of two sets of phonotactic constraints, and that both sets of constraints are simultaneously available to the individual during language processing. (MSE)

Studies employing or investigating the metalinguistic judgments of native and nonnative speakers are reviewed. Their results and methodologies are compared to stimulate reliable and informative applications of such judgments in future research. Metalinguistic judgments are found useful in language acquisition studies, given appropriate controls…

Argues for the studying of the language learning process itself, rather than doing contrastive or error analyses for determining the source of error in second language acquisiton. Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies can help determine the language learning stages. A multidimensional model of language learning is proposed. (PJM)

Suggests that structural universals between different-based pidgins result from universal linguo-cognitive processing strategies which are employed in learning languages. Some of the strategies occur in all types of acquisition, and others are more applicable to L2 type acquisition. Past research is discussed, and some exemplary data are given.…

The cognitive restrictions on the beginning second language learner's capacity to deal with structural diversity and the concomitant developmental regularities of his sentence structure are examined. Learners utilize the formal features of a language, the syntactic categories, as building blocks in organizing the structure of the language. (PMJ)

An attempt to refute the opinion that true bilingualism is acquired only in early childhood. The discussion arises from experience with bilingual adults. The results of the study lead to recommendations on the production of materials for the teaching of foreign languages. (Author/AMH)

An experiment with 100 German students of French showed that with the word "profond" the students' semantic associations were based on the mother tongue, whereas with the word "rapide" they were more oriented to the French syntax. Semantic problems are both linguistic and sociocultural in nature. (IFS/WGA)

Examines the role that Universal Grammar (UG) plays in the early stages of the acquisition of Japanese as a second language (L2) by adults. Addresses whether a nonparametrized principle of UG that is instantiated in the first language (L1) is "active enough" in the early stages of L2 learning to apply to phenomena for which there are no…

Investigates ways speakers manage problems and overcome difficulties in second language (L2) communication. Distinguishes four main sources of L2 communication problems; resource deficits; processing time pressure; perceived deficiencies in one's own language output; and perceived deficiencies in interlocutors performance. Adopts a…

Investigates the relative effect of two types of explicit grammar instruction on learners' ability to interpret and produce sentences containing the French causative. Indicates processing instruction is as effective as traditional instruction in enabling learners to interpret the French causative; traditional instruction is more effective in…

Examined the performance of bilingual Russian-English speakers and monolingual English speakers during auditory processing of competing lexical items using eye tracking. Results revealed that both bilinguals and monolinguals experienced competition from English lexical items overlapping phonetically with an English target item. (VWL)

Discusses the theory that the second-language processing of subordinate clauses and of anaphora is affected by the basic word order of a learners native language. This phenomenon, believed to be a prediction of universal grammar, is explored. (54 references) (Author/VWL)

Investigation of Spanish speakers' methods of recognizing written English suggested that speakers of Spanish, which has a highly regular spelling system, may rely on a phonological route because subjects performed quite poorly on exception words. (Author/CB)

The main difference between the information-processing and Bialystok's Analysis/Control framework for first and second language learning is in their focus. The latter is equipped mainly to account for performance differences on metalinguistic tasks, while the former accounts for construction and reconstruction of implicit and explicit mental…