A self-paced reading (SPR) study of the effects of processing instruction on the L2 processing of active and passive sentences

Abstract

Recent research on the effects of processing instruction (PI) have incorporated online research methods in order to demonstrate that PI has effects on cognitive processing behaviors as well as on accuracy (e.g. Lee & Doherty, 2019a). The present study uses self-paced reading and a moving windows technique to examine the effects of PI on second language (L2) learners’ processing of Spanish active and passive sentences to explore the effects of PI on instructed second language acquisition. One group received PI but the Control group did not. Between group comparisons on passive sentences showed changes in performance for the PI group but not the Control group with the PI group gaining in accuracy and processing speed, specifically faster response times to select the correct picture and faster reading time on passive verb forms. Within group analyses showed changes in the PI group’s performance on all dependent variables at the immediate posttest and a subsequent decline in performance at the delayed posttest (8 weeks later). We discuss the implications of our results and treatment format for classroom and hybridized instruction.

What Does Explicit Knowledge Look Like? An Analysis of Information Structure in Rule Formation by L2 Learners and Its Relationship With Guided Inductive Learning

“…(2016) demonstrated the effectiveness of video games on learning outcomes. Previous research has demonstrated the effectiveness of sentence–picture matching tasks on learning outcomes (Lee et al., 2020; Malovrh et al., 2020). These studies also show that learning takes place in groups as well as in individual (isolated) settings.…”

“…We presented linguistic input via self-paced (moving-windows) reading, which allows us to examine word-by-word processing and determine which words in a sentence require the most cognitive effort (Lee et al, 2020;Malovrh, et al 2020). We used the laboratory setting to create the learning environment.…”

“…Additionally, they tend to align the grammatical role of subject with the semantic role of agent (Borer & Wexler, 1987; Hyams et al., 2006; Pienneman, 1998; Slobin, 1966; Slobin & Bever, 1982; Stromswold, 2006; VanPatten, 2007). Aligning roles presents no problem with active sentences, but a definite processing problem with Spanish passive sentences, as L2 learners tend to misinterpret these sentences no matter if input is auditory (Lee, 2014, 2015) or written (Lee & Doherty, 2019b; Lee et al., 2020; Malovrh et al., 2020).…”

“…Rule formation, for example, is considered to reflect high DoP (Cerezo et al, 2016; Zhuang, 2019) and is affected by external manipulation of levels of awareness of the target grammatical form (Adrada–Rafael, 2017). DoP has been operationalized in terms of cognitive strategies evidenced in think‐aloud protocols and in terms of processing time; longer times reflect greater DoP (Lee & Doherty, 2019a; Lee et al., 2020; Malovrh et al., 2020). We hypothesize that the information structure of the rules L2 learners create, induced from a uniform guided induction task, will explain processing times and that rule formation will be constrained by levels of analysis and controlled metalinguistic awareness.…”

The additive use of prosody and morphosyntax in L2 German

“…Relatively few studies have used cognitive behavioral measures such as self-paced reading (SPR) or eye-tracking to investigate how PI and related instructional interventions change learners' processing strategies, though these methodologies are becoming more common in PI research. As Lee et al (2020) and Henry (2022) discuss, these studies address an increasingly large number of research questions, but many have centered on the effects of PI compared to other instructional trainings (Benati, 2020a(Benati, , 2020bChiuchiù & Benati, 2020;Henry, 2022;Issa & Morgan-Short, 2019;McManus & Marsden, 2017Wong & Ito, 2018) and on aspects of a PI training, such as the delivery of explicit information (EI) or feedback (Dracos & Henry, 2018;Indrarathne & Kormos, 2017;Issa, 2019;Wong & Ito, 2018). While these studies have utilized a variety of methodological approaches, the research has broadly found that PI increases attention and sensitivity to the target forms (Henry, 2022;Issa & Morgan-Short, 2019), reduces the use of nontarget processing strategies (Dracos & Henry, 2018;Wong & Ito, 2018), and/or increases depth or ease of processing (Chiuchiù & Benati, 2020;Lee et al, 2020).…”