Generalizing Knowledge of Second Language Collocations: The Roles of Within‐ and Cross‐Language Similarity on Acceptability and Event‐Related Potentials

Abstract

Recent research has shown that knowledge of second language (L2) collocations is important to learners for improving their language processing and production but also that acquiring L2-specific collocations is a very burdensome task for learners. Thus, bootstrapping knowledge of L2 collocations through generalization is highly desirable, but this area has received surprisingly limited attention. This study examined L2 learners' ability to generalize knowledge of recently learned verb-noun collocations during processing and whether this type of learning occurred via intralexical associations in the L2 (similarity) or was facilitated by known collocations in learners' first language (L1). Mixed-effects regression targeting measures of learners' brain eventrelated potentials revealed cross-language influence during real-time processing that preceded learners' acceptability judgments. Both within-and cross-language similarity influenced learners' behavioral judgments. These findings revealed cross-language integration in L1-L2 incongruent collocations from the earliest moments of processing.

On effective learning of English collocations: From perspectives of distributed practice and semantic restructuring

“…Although results reported by Pulido (2023) suggested that exposure to only one related collocation might result in generalization, repeated exposure to multiple collocations containing the same node might be more beneficial for collocation learning. This raises the question of how repeated encounters with multiple collocations for the same node should be distributed to maximize the benefits.…”

“…The results of the acceptability judgement task indicated that repeated exposure to only one related collocation might have allowed participants to successfully generalize their knowledge of previously learned collocations to novel collocations. 1 Although results reported by Pulido (2023) suggested that exposure to only one related collocation might result in generalization, repeated exposure to multiple collocations containing the same node might be more beneficial for collocation learning. This raises the question of how repeated encounters with multiple collocations for the same node should be distributed to maximize the benefits.…”

“…For instance, exposure to wear a ring, wear makeup, and wear an expression may enable learners to comprehend or produce collocations, such as wear a bracelet, wear perfume, and wear a smile, even if they were not previously exposed to them. Pulido (2023) examined if exposure to collocations containing the same node facilitates generalizability of collocational knowledge. In his study, participants learned 20 verb-noun collocations (e.g., shoot the scene) through several practice opportunities.…”

“…Pulido (2023) examined if exposure to collocations containing the same node facilitates generalizability of collocational knowledge. In his study, participants learned 20 verb‐noun collocations (e.g., shoot the scene ) through several practice opportunities.…”