Showing papers by "John N. Williams published in 2011"
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TL;DR: Evidence is reported for implicit learning of a mapping between a novel set of determiners and thematic roles, obtained using a newly developed reaction time methodology, which concludes that contextually derived form-meaning connections might be implicitly learned.
Abstract: The traditional implicit learning literature focused primarily on the abstraction of statistical regularities in form-form connections. More attention has been directed toward the implicit learning of form-meaning connections recently, which might be crucial in the acquisition of natural languages. The current article reports evidence for implicit learning of a mapping between a novel set of determiners and thematic roles, obtained using a newly developed reaction time method- ology. The results conclude that contextually derived form-meaning connections might be implicitly learned.
102 citations
21 Feb 2011
TL;DR: This article reported evidence for implicit learning of a mapping between a novel set of determiners and thematic roles, obtained using a newly developed reaction time methodology, and concluded that contextually derived form-meaning connections might be implicitly learned.
Abstract: The traditional implicit learning literature has focused primarily on the abstraction of statistical regularities in form-form connections. More attention has been recently directed toward the implicit learning of form-meaning connections, which might be crucial in the acquisition of natural languages. The current article reports evidence for implicit learning of a mapping between a novel set of determiners and thematic roles, obtained using a newly developed reaction time methodology. The results conclude that contextually derived form-meaning connections might be implicitly learned.
101 citations
31 Jan 2011
TL;DR: This paper brought together contributors from cognitive psychology, theoretical and applied linguistics, as well as computer science in order to assess the progress made in statistical learning research and to determine future directions.
Abstract: Open publication This volume brings together contributors from cognitive psychology, theoretical and applied linguistics, as well as computer science, in order to assess the progress made in statistical learning research and to determine future directions. An important objective is to critically examine the role of statistical learning in language acquisition. While most contributors agree that statistical learning plays a central role in language acquisition, they have differing views. This book will promote the development of the field by fostering discussion and collaborations across disciplinary boundaries.
30 citations
24 Mar 2011
TL;DR: This paper proposed an episodic view of word learning in which newly learned words do not simply inherit the meaning of their first language (L1) translation equivalents, but rather are associated with the aspects of meaning that were active at the time they were learned.
Abstract: Current views of vocabulary learning imply that second language (L2) words initially inherit the meaning of their first language (L1) translation equivalents. We describe a series of experiments that test this idea by examining semantic priming from newly learned words. The aspects of meaning that these words automatically activate were probed by manipulating the nature of the prime-target relationship. Although there were clear semantic priming effects, not all types of semantic relationship supported priming. The effects of variations in study conditions lead us to suggest an episodic view of word learning in which newly learned words do not simply inherit L1 meanings, but rather are associated with the aspects of meaning that were active at the time they were learned. We discuss the implications for teaching vocabulary, especially through the use of translation equivalents.
7 citations