It is well established that part of native speaker competence resides in knowledge of conventionalized word combinations, or nativelike selections (NLSs). This article reports an investigation into the receptive NLS knowledge of second language (L2) users of English in both the United Kingdom and Poland and the influence of a variety of independent variables on this knowledge. Results indicate that only an early start (< 12 years old) in an immersion setting guarantees nativelikeness. Long exposure in late starters brings moderate gains in both settings but not to nativelike levels; positive feelings toward the L2 and motivation to interact in it bear little to no relationship with NLS; phonological short-term memory (pSTM) is the only predictor of NLS ability in immersion late starters, with no effect found in a foreign language setting. Our results suggest that NLS is subject to age effects and that, for late starters, a good pSTM and L2 immersion are necessary for the acquisition of this dimension of L2 knowledge.

The extent to which findings in bilingualism research are contingent on specific analytic choices, experimental designs, or operationalisations, is currently unknown. Poor availability of data, analysis code, and materials has hindered the development of cumulative lines of research. In this review, we survey current practices and advocate a credibility revolution in bilingualism research through the adoption of minimum standards of transparency. Full disclosure of data and code is necessary not only to assess the reproducibility of original findings, but also to test the robustness of these findings to different analytic specifications. Similarly, full provision of experimental materials and protocols underpins assessment of both the replicability of original findings, as well as their generalisability to different contexts and samples. We illustrate the review with examples where good practice has advanced the agenda in bilingualism research and highlight resources to help researchers get started.

Make research data available to ensure transparency and a reliable scientific record.

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In this report, we reviewed Open Scholarship in Applied Linguistics: What, Why, and How, a two-day online symposium held in June 2022. The symposium was the inaugural event of Open Applied Linguistics, a newly established AILA research network dedicated to the promotion of open scholarship in applied linguistics. We started with the background against which Open Applied Linguistics was founded and went on to introduce our understanding of open scholarship. We then summarised and reviewed selected talks and panels from the symposium, ranging from replication and registered reports to the Postprint Pledge. A common thread across our symposium is an ethos of openness, not merely in terms of research practices, but also in the open acknowledgement of and engagement with the many tensions and challenges regarding open scholarship in applied linguistics, from epistemological and cultural to psychological and practical. This, we believe, is the ethos that can truly build us up as a field. While our symposium represents only one of the initial steps in a long journey, we hope to inspire more aligned and sustained efforts across all levels to incrementally and effectively advance our field towards a more open future.