LANSPAN lectures 2021

Abstracts

Learner Psychology and Interaction in the Classroom: A Series of Experiments, Prof. Masatoshi Sato (Universidad Andrés Bello)

Second language (L2) learners bring in their unique psychological individual differences to the classroom (trait-like constructs). Also, learner psychology may fluctuate during a long (e.g., a semester) and/or short (e.g., a task) period of time (state-like constructs). Theoretically, we do not know much about how those psychological traits and states relate to instructed second language acquisition (ISLA). Pedagogically, learner psychology is a primary concern for many L2 teachers (e.g., silent learners, unmotivated learners, non-collaborative learners, etc.). In this talk, I will zero in on interaction between learners in relation to learner psychology. Drawing on the affective-social-cognitive (ASC) model, I will discuss a series of experiments from my past and on-going research, including L2 motivation, willingness to communicate, mindsets, interaction mindsets, and collaborative learning. I will conclude with ideas for future research combining learner psychology and ISLA agendas.

Prediction in second language processing and learning, Edith Kaan (University of Florida)

There is ample evidence that language users predict upcoming information while reading or listening. However, there is still some controversy as to the ubiquity and importance of predictive processing. In this talk I will give a brief historical sketch of research on predictive processing in native language comprehension. I then turn to predictive processing in second language learners and discuss the relation between predictive processing and language learning. I will advocate a direction of research in which the utility of prediction is central: language users aim to achieve maximal processing efficiency. This may imply not predicting, or relying on different information to predict. In this way, differences in predictive processing can be accounted for within and across individuals, and between populations.

Global English and the Global South, Kyria Finardi (Federal University of Espirito Santo)

This presentation discusses the production, evaluation, and circulation of knowledge in the Global South, focusing on the role of internationalization of higher education and languages in these processes. I open the discussion by bringing bibliometric evidence to illustrate and discuss these processes from the perspective of southern epistemologies, arguing in favor of an ecology of knowledges and languages. Bibliometric evidence of the production on internationalization in the last decade is brought to show an increase in publications, although the impact of this production does not correspond to its growth. Academic production on internationalization constitutes an interdisciplinary area that is still expanding and whose recognition is still incipient and strongly influenced by the Global North, as can be seen in the number of citations of authors from that region. The constitution of an epistemology of the South, evidenced in the citations of articles produced by authors from the region, seems to be hampered since intra-regional cooperation is smaller than cooperation between authors from the Global South with those from the Global North, a situation that it reinforces and perpetuates the status quo and the reverberation of theories and epistemologies alien to the ecosystem of the South. The discussion concludes that so as to allow the constitution of epistemologies of the South in an ecology of knowledge and languages, it is necessary to review the strategies of production, evaluation and circulation of knowledge.

A storytelling robot for multilingual children, Rianne van den Berghe (Windesheim)

Use of home languages in schools benefits children’s language development and wellbeing, but can be a challenge for teachers. In the ‘Storytelling robot project’, a social robot is used to read stories to children in their home language at school. The hypothesis is that the support provided by the robot and the possibility to use home languages in school will benefit children’s story comprehension and wellbeing. The project will start in December 2021, and I would like to discuss my research plans. The project will consist of several experiments, which I will briefly present. Feedback is very welcome!