International Symposium on Second Language in the Brain

[Francis Hult]

From: Stephanie Peter <S.Peter at greenwich.ac.uk<mailto:S.Peter at greenwich.ac.uk>>
Date: 3 juni 2014 18.56.53 CEST
Subject: International Symposium on Second Language in the Brain

Dear associates,

The Centre for Applied Research and Outreach in Language Education (CAROLE) at the University of Greenwich (http://www.gre.ac.uk/carole) and the University of Pavia are pleased to announce the International Symposium on Second Language in the Brain.

University of Greenwich, UK
4 October 2014
FREE EVENT PLEASE REGISTER AT THE WEB SITE BELOW
http://www.gre.ac.uk/secondlanguageinthebrain

In this Symposium, we would like to ask three basic questions: is teaching useful (whether explicit or implicit)? Does language immersion and naturalistic exposure really make a difference? Does the kind of spoken interaction among native and non-native speakers count for language acquisition? The novelty of the current symposium does not lie in the questions, but in the kind of answer: complex and experimentally-grounded answers only will be provided. Indeed, it has only been quite recently that ERPs and neuroimaging techniques have been used to explore the impact that some environmental factors may have on changes in the brain occurring during second language acquisition. The symposium focuses on three of these environmental factors: (a) classroom instruction; (b) interaction among native and nonnative speakers; (c) immersion and everyday life in the country where the second language is spoken. Research questions to be addressed in the Symposium include the following: Are there visible brain signatures of increasing proficiency in the second language? Are different memory systems (declarative vs. procedural) involved in a different way in uninstructed and in instructed second language acquisition? How does an adult learner's brain accommodate (if it does) to the typical activities of a language classroom setting such as structured or enhanced input, drills, repetitions and so forth? Are there brain modifications which can be directly or indirectly linked to the fact that the second language is used and practiced outside the class in everyday life? Is it likely that feedback (in any of its forms) and interaction with native speakers modify the quality of Second Language Acquisition in ways that are detectable in brain activity patterns? The Symposium brings together neurolinguists who have been leading research on these topics since the late Nineties and theoretical & developmental linguists who are known worldwide for their research in the field of SLA.


Speakers:
Michael Ullman (Georgetown University)
Lee Osterhout (University of Washington)
Doug Davidson (Basque Center for Cognition, Brain, and Language)
David Green (University College London)
Karsten Steinhauer (McGill University)

Discussants:
Leah Roberts (University of York - discussant)
Jason Rothman (University of Reading - discussant)

Organizers:
Alessandro Benati (Greenwich University)
Stefano Rastelli (University of Pavia)



Alessandro Benati
Professor of Applied Linguistics and Second Language Studies
Director of the Centre for Applied Research and Outreach in Language Education (CAROLE)
Department of Literature, Language and Theatre
Greenwich Campus, SE10 9LS
Telephone: 020 8331 9048
Email: A.Benati at gre.ac.uk
http://www.gre.ac.uk/carole
http://www2.gre.ac.uk/about/schools/humanities/about/departments/spcs/staff/professor-alessandro-benati
http://www2.gre.ac.uk/about/schools/humanities/research/groups/alrg/home

University of Greenwich, a charity and company limited by guarantee,
registered in England (reg. no. 986729).  Registered office:
Old Royal Naval College, Park Row, Greenwich, London SE10 9LS.

University of Greenwich, a charity and company limited by guarantee,
registered in England (reg. no. 986729).  Registered office:
Old Royal Naval College, Park Row, Greenwich, London SE10 9LS.


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