Bridging the Gap Between Second Language Acquisition Research and Memory Science: The Case of Foreign Language Attrition

11Citations
Citations of this article
66Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

Abstract

The field of second language acquisition (SLA) is by nature of its subject a highly interdisciplinary area of research. Learning a (foreign) language, for example, involves encoding new words, consolidating and committing them to long-term memory, and later retrieving them. All of these processes have direct parallels in the domain of human memory and have been thoroughly studied by researchers in that field. Yet, despite these clear links, the two fields have largely developed in parallel and in isolation from one another. The present article aims to promote more cross-talk between SLA and memory science. We focus on foreign language (FL) attrition as an example of a research topic in SLA where the parallels with memory science are especially apparent. We discuss evidence that suggests that competition between languages is one of the mechanisms of FL attrition, paralleling the interference process thought to underlie forgetting in other domains of human memory. Backed up by concrete suggestions, we advocate the use of paradigms from the memory literature to study these interference effects in the language domain. In doing so, we hope to facilitate future cross-talk between the two fields and to further our understanding of FL attrition as a memory phenomenon.

References Powered by Scopus

Contributions of memory circuits to language: The declarative/procedural model

1250Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Remembering Can Cause Forgetting: Retrieval Dynamics in Long-Term Memory

1222Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Rethinking interference theory: Executive control and the mechanisms of forgetting

747Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cited by Powered by Scopus

Between-language competition as a driving force in foreign language attrition

16Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Incidental Vocabulary Learning and Retention from Audiovisual Input and Factors Affecting Them

8Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Cross-linguistic influence in the bilingual lexicon: Evidence for ubiquitous facilitation and context-dependent interference effects on lexical processing

5Citations
N/AReaders
Get full text

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Mickan, A., McQueen, J. M., & Lemhöfer, K. (2019). Bridging the Gap Between Second Language Acquisition Research and Memory Science: The Case of Foreign Language Attrition. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2019.00397

Readers' Seniority

Tooltip

PhD / Post grad / Masters / Doc 20

56%

Researcher 7

19%

Lecturer / Post doc 6

17%

Professor / Associate Prof. 3

8%

Readers' Discipline

Tooltip

Linguistics 13

43%

Psychology 8

27%

Neuroscience 5

17%

Arts and Humanities 4

13%

Article Metrics

Tooltip
Mentions
Blog Mentions: 1
Social Media
Shares, Likes & Comments: 27

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free