Language Learning and the Brain Lexical Processing in Second Language Acquisition

Every person who encounters or learns another language is faced with the challenge of processing many new words in a short period of time. What are the conditions under which a learner can acquire those words successfully and process them to long-term memory? How do language and memory faculties interact? What role do the senses play in this process? Are factors such as age or individual backgrounds of learners to be considered? Taking the reader on a fascinating journey through the brain to demonstrate how language is processed, Ulf Schütze explains the dynamic environment involved in recording and producing words. The book also discusses how to use information technology, such as Apps, to make the learning of words entertaining and efficient.

Introduction; 1. A new word; 2. Memory, language and the brain; 3. Synaptic connections; 4. Cognitive load; 5. First and second language acquisition; 6. The bilingual lexicon and speaker; 7. Spacing; 8. Word analysis; 9. Learning and teaching.

Ulf Schütze is an Associate Professor of Second Language Acquisition in the Department of Germanic and Slavic Studies at the University of Victoria, Canada. His research in computer-assisted language learning, lexical processing, and the sustainability of technology in second language acquisition has been published in journals worldwide.