Bert Vandenberghe - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
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Papers by Bert Vandenberghe
Mind, Brain, and Education
A fundamental question in research on instructed second language (L2) acquisition concerns the im... more A fundamental question in research on instructed second language (L2) acquisition concerns the impact of form- or meaning-focused instruction on L2 learning. While substantial research has addressed the impact of those types of instruction on the acquisition of grammar, far fewer studies have compared their effectiveness for vocabulary acquisition. In addition, those studies have often exclusively assessed student's acquisition of word meaning using explicit tests, which may provide an inaccurate picture of the actual vocabulary learning gains (e.g., at the earliest stages of acquisition) and the effectiveness of a particular treatment. Therefore, this project investigates the effects of three instructional treatments: focus on meaning, focus on form, and focus on forms, on lexical acquisition at three levels of word knowledge (form, meaning, and use) and measured by means of three types of tests. Tests will range from explicit (e.g., provide the L1 translation of a novel word), over tacit (i.e. reaction time measurement), to neurological measures (recording Event-related potentials, ERPs) in order to detect lexical gains at different levels of sensitivity and track partial knowledge gains. The effectiveness of the instructional treatments on L2 lexical acquisition will be investigated in two experimental studies. Participants, L1 Dutch speaking 16 to 17 years old L2 learners of French, will be assigned to one of the three conditions: Focus-on-Forms, Focus-on-Form and Focus-on-Meaning. While study 1 will use a behavioural test battery to measure vocabulary gains (explicit and psycholinguistic tests with reaction time measurement), study 2 will add neurological data (e.g., the "N400", a negative-going brainwave peaking typically at 400 ms post-stimulus, indicates semantic processing).status: publishe
Journal of the European Second Language Association, 2019
Neurocognitive measures have only scarcely been used in second language (L2) vocabulary research.... more Neurocognitive measures have only scarcely been used in second language (L2) vocabulary research. Traditionally, L2 vocabulary knowledge has been gauged by using off-line measures that allow for conscious thinking and attentional control. Yet, it has been argued that more research is warranted on the role of measures that have the sensitivity to tap into on-line lexical processing. Recording Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) may be an effective technique in order to refine our understanding of L2 vocabulary knowledge. In the current article, we provide a comprehensive review of the relevant literature in order to examine the extent to which ERP research may be valuable to L2 vocabulary research. This review focuses on the potential of ERPs to address the multifaceted nature of vocabulary knowledge. It also examines the role of ERPs to elucidate the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the incremental nature of L2 vocabulary learning. Finally, this paper discusses the extent to which ERPs might contribute to understanding factors that affect L2 vocabulary learning.
Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 2021
This study combines explicit (pen-and-paper) and sensitive (time-pressured) measures to gauge the... more This study combines explicit (pen-and-paper) and sensitive (time-pressured) measures to gauge the impact of three instructional interventions (contextualized input with meaning-focused activities, contextualized input with word-focused activities, and decontextualized input with word-focused exercises) on the learning of 20 L2 French target verbs. Participants (N = 313, L1 = Dutch) completed a combination of explicit (form recognition, meaning recall, grammatical preference) and time-pressured sensitive tests (lexical decision, semantic relatedness, grammaticality judgment) as immediate and delayed posttests. Explicit posttests show the beneficial effects of word-focused instruction, and underline the efficiency of context for meaning-related knowledge. Sensitive posttests generally confirm the explicit results, but reveal differences between both word-focused conditions related to lexical processing and strength of knowledge. This study suggests that combining explicit and sensitiv...
Mind, Brain, and Education
A fundamental question in research on instructed second language (L2) acquisition concerns the im... more A fundamental question in research on instructed second language (L2) acquisition concerns the impact of form- or meaning-focused instruction on L2 learning. While substantial research has addressed the impact of those types of instruction on the acquisition of grammar, far fewer studies have compared their effectiveness for vocabulary acquisition. In addition, those studies have often exclusively assessed student's acquisition of word meaning using explicit tests, which may provide an inaccurate picture of the actual vocabulary learning gains (e.g., at the earliest stages of acquisition) and the effectiveness of a particular treatment. Therefore, this project investigates the effects of three instructional treatments: focus on meaning, focus on form, and focus on forms, on lexical acquisition at three levels of word knowledge (form, meaning, and use) and measured by means of three types of tests. Tests will range from explicit (e.g., provide the L1 translation of a novel word), over tacit (i.e. reaction time measurement), to neurological measures (recording Event-related potentials, ERPs) in order to detect lexical gains at different levels of sensitivity and track partial knowledge gains. The effectiveness of the instructional treatments on L2 lexical acquisition will be investigated in two experimental studies. Participants, L1 Dutch speaking 16 to 17 years old L2 learners of French, will be assigned to one of the three conditions: Focus-on-Forms, Focus-on-Form and Focus-on-Meaning. While study 1 will use a behavioural test battery to measure vocabulary gains (explicit and psycholinguistic tests with reaction time measurement), study 2 will add neurological data (e.g., the "N400", a negative-going brainwave peaking typically at 400 ms post-stimulus, indicates semantic processing).status: publishe
Journal of the European Second Language Association, 2019
Neurocognitive measures have only scarcely been used in second language (L2) vocabulary research.... more Neurocognitive measures have only scarcely been used in second language (L2) vocabulary research. Traditionally, L2 vocabulary knowledge has been gauged by using off-line measures that allow for conscious thinking and attentional control. Yet, it has been argued that more research is warranted on the role of measures that have the sensitivity to tap into on-line lexical processing. Recording Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) may be an effective technique in order to refine our understanding of L2 vocabulary knowledge. In the current article, we provide a comprehensive review of the relevant literature in order to examine the extent to which ERP research may be valuable to L2 vocabulary research. This review focuses on the potential of ERPs to address the multifaceted nature of vocabulary knowledge. It also examines the role of ERPs to elucidate the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the incremental nature of L2 vocabulary learning. Finally, this paper discusses the extent to which ERPs might contribute to understanding factors that affect L2 vocabulary learning.
Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 2021
This study combines explicit (pen-and-paper) and sensitive (time-pressured) measures to gauge the... more This study combines explicit (pen-and-paper) and sensitive (time-pressured) measures to gauge the impact of three instructional interventions (contextualized input with meaning-focused activities, contextualized input with word-focused activities, and decontextualized input with word-focused exercises) on the learning of 20 L2 French target verbs. Participants (N = 313, L1 = Dutch) completed a combination of explicit (form recognition, meaning recall, grammatical preference) and time-pressured sensitive tests (lexical decision, semantic relatedness, grammaticality judgment) as immediate and delayed posttests. Explicit posttests show the beneficial effects of word-focused instruction, and underline the efficiency of context for meaning-related knowledge. Sensitive posttests generally confirm the explicit results, but reveal differences between both word-focused conditions related to lexical processing and strength of knowledge. This study suggests that combining explicit and sensitiv...