Call for papers to AILA 2020 Symposium on Formulaic Language and Reading

Call for Papers: 'Doing it by the book: Learning and Processing of formulaic sequences from the perspective of reading comprehension'

Organisers:

• Marijana Macis, Manchester Metropolitan University
• Gareth Carrol, University of Birmingham

Featured speakers:

• Ana Pellicer-Sanchez (Learning),  UCL Institute of Education, London, UK
• Simone Sprenger (Processing), University of Groningen, the Netherlands

'Doing it by the book: Learning and Processing of formulaic sequences from the perspective of reading comprehension'

This symposium will focus on formulaic language from the point of view of reading comprehension. Formulaic language is now recognised as a vital part of proficiency, and detailed knowledge of how words combine to create larger units of meaning and contribute to "native-like" use is a key part of developing high levels of fluency in a second language. The symposium will approach this topic from two specific perspectives. The first is a focus on learning, and the acquisition of formulaic language as a part of developing vocabulary knowledge. Key topics here are how learners might develop their knowledge of collocations and other formulaic combinations through intentional or incidental reading, and how this knowledge maps onto other aspects such as productive knowledge. The second perspective focuses on processing, as a way of understanding changes in cognitive representations amongst L2 learners. Here, techniques such as self-paced reading and eye-tracking can be useful for investigating development of explicit knowledge, but also automation and fluency, and comparing performance amongst L1 and L2 speakers. The symposium will include studies and ideas on these two themes, as a way of linking to broader questions around the development of vocabulary and representations in the L2 mental lexicon.

Call For Papers

We welcome submissions which address the relationship between formulaic language and reading. More specifically, the symposium will focus on reading as an avenue to explore questions around the learning of formulaic phrases, development of multiword knowledge, and the corresponding effects on fluency and representation in the L2 lexicon.

Submit your abstract at:

https://www.aila2020.nl/call- for-papers

Closing date: 16th of September, 2019​