Applying priming methods to L2 learning, teaching and research: Insights from Psycholinguistics(30 Language Learning & Language Teaching)

This volume features a collection of empirical studies which use priming methods to explore the comprehension, production, and acquisition of second language (L2) phonology, syntax, and lexicon. The term priming refers to the phenomenon in which prior exposure to specific language forms or meanings influences a speaker’s subsequent language comprehension or production. This book brings together the various strands of priming research into a single volume that specifically addresses the interests of researchers, teachers, and students interested in L2 teaching and learning. Chapters by internationally known scholars feature a variety of priming techniques, describe various psycholinguistic tasks, and focus on different domains of language knowledge and skills. The book is conceptualized with a wide audience in mind, including researchers not familiar with priming methods and their application to L2 research, graduate students in second language acquisition and related disciplines, and instructors who require readings for use in their courses.

Table of Contents:
1. List of contributors; 2. Acknowledgements; 3. Introduction; 4. Chapter 1. Using priming methods to study L2 learning and teaching (by Trofimovich, Pavel); 5. Part I. Using priming methods in L2 learning research; 6. Chapter 2. Acquiring second language vocabulary through the use of images and words (by Altarriba, Jeanette); 7. Chapter 3. Some costs of fooling Mother Nature: A priming study on the Keyword Method and the quality of developing L2 lexical representations (by Barcroft, Joe); 8. Chapter 4. Using priming to explore early word learning (by Williams, John N.); 9. Chapter 5. When three equals tree: Examining the nature of phonological entries in L2 lexicons of Quebec speakers of English (by Trofimovich, Pavel); 10. Chapter 6. Eliciting wh-questions through collaborative syntactic priming activities during peer interaction (by McDonough, Kim); 11. Part II. Innovative approaches to L2 priming research; 12. Chapter 7. The L2 semantic attentional blink: Implications for L2 learning (by Segalowitz, Norman); 13. Chapter 8. Task effects in second language sentence processing research (by Leeser, Michael J.); 14. Chapter 9. Semantic integration in listening comprehension in a second language: Evidence from cross-modal priming (by Guiling Hu); 15. Chapter 10. Conceptual mediation in second language learners: Evidence from false memories (by Sunderman, Gretchen L.); 16. Conclusion; 17. Chapter 11. Expanding the scope of priming research (by McDonough, Kim); 18. Index

Review :
The authors of various chapters should be commended for using clear language and explanations for their methodologically well-designed research studies. They provide excellent examples of the design and reporting of priming research that are accessible to researchers and students who do not have vast prior knowledge of such research. Although some background knowledge of psycholinguistic methods and theories may be necessary, a strong background is not needed to understand and critically read this volume. For these reasons, this volume makes an extremely valuable contribution to the fi eld of SLA.