L2-Spell: the impact of orthography on second language word learning and processing

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Audrey Bürki, Ph.D.
• Subject Area: General and Comparative Linguistics, Experimental Linguistics, Typology, Non-European Languages
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 529011267

Adult learners of a second language (L2) encounter new words by hearing them, reading them or both. In this project, we examine the influence of written orthographic input on L2 learning and processing. We will examine the impact of orthography on all aspects of L2 word learning : the ability to recognize words and associate them with their meanings, the ability to perceive phonemes, the ability to produce words that map onto the intended meaning, and the ability to build phonological representations and to accurately pronounce the words. The structure of our 3-year research project is threefold. In Work package 1, we will review the literature and perform meta-analyses of orthographic effects. In Work package 2, we will design experiments to specify the role orthographic input in L2 learning and processing to determine whether these effects: are specific to orthography or can be obtained with alternative coding, depend on the timing of orthographic input during learning, evolve over time, depend on the linguistic material, depend on how the orthographic form is experienced, depend on participants. In Work package 3, we will design experiments to understand the impact of orthographic information when orthography is not present in the input. We will examine whether learners generate orthographic representations of novel words that they have encountered only auditorily (have heard but not seen written) which in turn influence their pronunciation, whether differences in self-generated orthographic representations account for differences in performance in pronunciation and vocabulary learning across learners, and whether L2 speakers automatically activate their orthographic representations of words. This collaborative project builds on the earlier published work of the three scientific coordinators, who have worked together for many years. It benefits from the complementary expertise of the coordinators and other project participants, in psycholinguistics, phonetics and phonology, statistics, corpus linguistics, and second language pedagogy. On top of theoretical insights on understanding how literate speakers process new information and on understanding second language acquisition, this project, by its focus on the impact of orthography on second language learning, has major implications for educational programs.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Partner Organisation: Agence Nationale de la Recherche / The French National Research Agency
• Cooperation Partners: Professorin Dr. Elsa Spinelli, Ph.D.; Dr. Pauline Welby, Ph.D.