Workshop “LANGUAGE CONTROL in SECOND LANGUAGE LEARNERS” – 18/06/2014

On June, 18th, 2014, we are organizing an one-day workshop on language control in second language learners.

The study of language control among L2 learners in a cognitive perspective raises various questions: how does explicit (control) or implicit (automatism) knowledge develop ? When are these forms of knowledge activated and used and what is the impact of their development on the accuracy, fluency and complexity of the output? How do learners control their output? What are their strategies?

Moreover, recent studies have focused on the control of two or more languages among bilingual and plurilingual subjects. They show that the latter, exactly like L2 learners, use a given language while the other languages remain active and can even compete among each other (Bialystok et al, 2004; Poarch & Van Hell, 2012; Van Hell & Tanner, 2012). So the simultaneous use of one or several languages requires a capacity to efficiently control linguistic activity in one language intentionnally chosen while avoiding possible conflicts with the other languages.

This issue of language control has already been addressed in some studies on language pathologies and bilingualism (particularly by the research team Octogone-Lordat). On the other hand, the question of language control among L2 learners has not yet been the object of a scientific event in our university.

–          What do L2 learners control?

–          How do they control L2 production?

–          And above all, when, how and why do they fail to control it?

–          At what level do interferences with other known languages take place?

–          What is the real impact of the learning or practical context on cognitive mechanisms?

–          …

All these questions examine how resources and difficulties are handled in the production and comprehension of a second language.

We are pleased to invite participants to submit abstracts (150 words) for communications (papers and posters) during a one-day thematic workshop that will take place at the Université de Toulouse Le Mirail.

Submissions are to be sent by e-mail to vanda.marijanovic@univ-tlse2.fr.

Presentations will be held in French or in English.

Invited speakers:

Joan Carles Mora (Universitat de Barcelona)

Xavier Aparicio (Université de Picardie Jules Verne)

Important dates:

Abstract submission deadline: April, 1st,, 2014

Notification of acceptance: April, 15th, 2014

Workshop: June, 8th, 2014

Scientific Committee:

X. Aparicio, E. Arroyo, M. Billières, Ch. Dompmartin, C. Gunnarsson, R. El Yagoubi, B. Köpke, A. Krönert, V. Marijanovic, J. C. Mora, I. Saddour, H. Sahraoui, O. Theophanous

Organizers :

OCTOGONE-J. Lordat (EA 4156)

GRAAL Groupe de Recherche en Acquisition et Apprentissage des Langues

http://octogone.univ-tlse2.fr/accueil/composantes/lordat/