Research
How do adults learn languages? And how should languages be taught? My research aims to answer these questions by characterizing the changes in knowledge and processing mechanisms that are brought about by specific teaching methods, especially with respect to syntax and speaking skills. My approach is driven by research questions from both applied linguistics and psycholinguistics.
While learning and teaching second languages, it became clear to me that many language learners have difficulty applying their knowledge during speaking, at levels ranging from pronunciation to discourse. Speaking is an especially difficult task for second language learners because it not only involves language abilities, but also general cognitive abilities. When we speak, we have to structure our thoughts and interact in socially acceptable ways, and we need to do all of this very quickly. Therefore, it is in the speakers' interest that the language itself takes up only a small amount of their attention and processing resources. In the two main lines of my research program, I investigate how comprehension skills can assist the development of production skills, and how teaching methods can promote the development of oral fluency.
On this page:
De Jong, N. (2008). Second language learning of grammar: Output matters too. In M. Young-Scholten & T. Piske (Eds.), Input Matters in SLA (pp. 95-115). Bristol, UK: Multilingual Matters.
Frishkoff, G., Levin, L., Pavlik, P., Idemaru, K., & De Jong, N. (2008). A model-based approach to second-language learning of grammatical constructions. In B. C. Love, K. McRae, & V. M. Sloutsky (Eds.), Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society (pp. 1665-1670). Austin, TX: Cognitive Science Society.
De Jong, C.A.M.
(2005). Learning second language grammar by listening. Doctoral dissertation, University of Amsterdam.
Complete text (pdf) or All LOT dissertations
De Jong, N. (2005). Can second-language grammar be learned through listening? An experimental study.Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 27(2), 205-234.
Poelmans, P. & De Jong, N. (2002). Authorware and E-Prime: Create your own computerized experiment. Glot International, 6(1), 26-29.
De Jong, C.A.M. (2000). Complexiteit en instructie. De invloed van complexiteit op het leereffect van verschillende typen instructie. Toegepaste Taalwetenschap in Artikelen, 63(1), 105-116.
De Jong, N., Halderman, L.K., & Ross, M. (2009). The effect of formulaic sequences training on fluency development in an ESL classroom. Paper presented at the American Association for Applied Linguistics conference 2009, Denver, CO, March 2009.
Vercellotti, M.L. & De Jong, N. (2009). “I prefer go”: English L2 verb complement errors. Poster presented at the Georgetown University Round Table, Washington, D.C., March 2009.
Vercellotti, M.L. & De Jong, N. (2009). “I always dessert cake to diet”: Elicited Imitation as an L2 task. Poster presented at the Second Annual Inter-Science of Learning Center Conference, Seattle, WA, February 2009.
De Jong, N. The study of oral fluency development in ESL. Presentation given at the Colloquium on Teaching and Learning World Languages, Queens College of CUNY, March 2008.
De Jong, N. Oral fluency development in a second language. Presentation given at the Cognitive Approaches to Second Language Acquisition research group at the University of Amsterdam, January 2008.
De Jong, N., McCormick, D., O'Neill, C., and Bradin Siskin, C., Self-correction and fluency in ESL speaking development. Paper presented at the American Association for Applied Linguistics 2007 Conference in Costa Mesa, CA, April 2007.
De Jong, N., Developing oral fluency with the 4/3/2 task. Presentation given at the Multimedia Showcase, University of Pittsburgh, September 2006
De Jong, N., Learning L2 grammar by listening. Talk given at the Reading and Language research group, Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, October 2005.
De Jong, N., Self-paced listening and the dual-task technique. Paper presented at the NOTT colloquium (Dutch Second Language Research Network), Amsterdam, March 2005.
De Jong, N., From comprehension to production in second language acquisition. Paper presented at the Amsterdam Psycholinguistics Forum, Tilburg, January 2005.
De Jong, N., The effect of auditory training on the correct production of gender agreement in Spanish L2. Paper presented at EUROSLA 13, Edinburgh, September 2003.
De Jong, N., Acquiring L2 grammar: Is silence golden? Paper presented at Nieuw Amsterdams Peil, Amsterdam, September 2003.
De Jong, N., The acquisition of grammatical knowledge through auditory input. Paper presented at the NOTT colloquium (Dutch Second Language Research Network), Nijmegen, November 2002.
De Jong, N., The effect of training in listening on oral production of grammatical structures. Poster presented at EUROSLA 11, Paderborn, September 2001.
Pittsburgh Science of Learning Center (PSLC)
Fostering fluency in second language
learning: A deeper analysis of fluency development in the 4/3/2 task
September 2007 – August 2009
Principal Investigator
Co-PIs: Dr. L.K. Halderman, and Dr. C.A. Perfetti
Fostering fluency in
second language learning: Testing two types of instruction
September 2006 – August 2007
Principal Investigator
Co-PIs: Dr. C.A. Perfetti
Training oral
production in learning second language grammar
September 2006 – August 2007
Principal Investigator
Co-PIs: Dr. C.A. Perfetti; Dr. R.M. DeKeyser
Providing optimal
support for robust learning of syntactic constructions in ESL
September 2006 – August 2007
Principal investigator: Dr. L. Levin
Co-PIs: Dr. N. de Jong, Dr. G. Frishkoff, Dr. P. Pavlik
Bridging the gap
between comprehension and production in second language learning
September 2005 – August 2006
Principal Investigator
Co-PIs: Dr. C.A. Perfetti; Dr. R.M. DeKeyser