Applied Psycholinguistics
Dr. Iris Alfi-Shabtay
M.Ed. Levinsky College of Education
This course introduces notions and studies in the field of applied psycholinguistics. It focuses on English
as a foreign language via aspects of instructions and acquisition. The course aims at exposing Israeli EFL
teachers to up-to-date theories of L2 acquisition and multiculturalism in general, and of English teaching
specifically. It intends to raise English teachers’ sensitivity to the specific needs of their pupils, and
sharpen their knowledge of how to make the learning of English easier.
Course structure
1. L2 / FL Language acquisition
What is a language? First language acquisition, second language acquisition; bilingualism;
acquisition vs, learning; foreign language learning, instruction of a foreign language; effects of
age in language learning; the interaction of bilingual’s first and second language; bilingual and
immersion programs.
2. What does it mean to “Know a language”?
What is a language? Grammar vs. literacy; models that explain what makes the acquisition of a
second/foreign language difficult; language variation and change; discourse abilities; evaluating
language in a natural context.
3. On the way to literacy in EFL acquisition: Advanced learners
Advanced language knowledge and literacy; essential characteristics of a proficient language
user; psycholinguistic studies of L2 / FL knowledge.
4. From theory to practice in the Israeli EFl class
The globalization of English; English teaching in Israel; what makes the learning of English
difficult to Israeli pupils; language typology; distinct typological structures of English and
Hebrew.
Goals:
1. To introduce English teachers with relevant concepts and models of language learning;
2. To provide English teachers with tools to analyze what makes the learning of English
difficult to their pupils;
3. To raise English teachers’ sensitivity to the specific needs of their pupils.
Student duties:
1. Each student will (a) sum up two-three articles throughout the semester; (b) present them
to the course participants using Power-Point; and (c) hold a discussion on the meaning
and consequences of the papers – will be done in pairs or in small groups ( 30%)
2. Final exam based on the course lectures and on all articles presented and read throughout
the course (70%)
Compulsory reading organized by order of presentations:
1. DeKeyser, R. M. (2006). A critique of recent arguments against the critical period
hypothesis. C. Abello-Contesse, R. Chacón-Beltrán, L.-J. M. D. & M. M.
Torreblanca-López (Eds.). Age in L2 acquisition and teaching (pp. 49-58). Bern,
Switzerland: Peter Lang.
2. DeKeyser, R. M., Alfi-Shabtay, I. and Ravid, D. (2010). Cross-linguistic evidence for
the nature of age effects in second language acquisition. Applied Psycholinguistics,
31:3, 413-438.
3. Granena, G. and Long, M. H. (2012). Age of onset, length of residence, language
aptitude, and ultimate L2 attainment in three linguistic domains. Second Language
Research . 29(3) 311–343
4. DeKeyser, R. M. (2009). Cognitive-psycholinguistical processes in second language
learning. In Doughty, C. J, and Long, M.H (2005). The handbook of Second
Language Acquisition. John Wiley publications, 119-138.
5. Stavans, A. (2001). Trilingual children narrating in Hebrew, English and Spanish. In
S. Stromqvist and L. L. Verhoeven (eds.). Narrative Development in a Multilingual
Context. Amsterdam: John Benjamins publishing company.
6. Ringbom, H. and Jarvis, S. (2009). The importance of cross-linguistic similarities in
foreign language learning. In Long, M. H. and C. J. Doughty. The Handbook of
Language Teaching. New York: Blackwell Publishing, 106-118.
7. Alfi-Shabtay, I. and Ravid, D. (2012). Adjective inflection in Hebrew: A
psycholinguistic study of speakers of Russian, English and Arabic compared with
native Hebrew speakers. In M. Leikin, M. Schwarts and Y. Tobin, (eds.). Current
Issues in Bilingualism. Cognitive and Socio-linguistic Perspectives (pp. 159-178).
New York: Springer.
8. Berman, R. A., & Slobin, I. D. (1994). Becoming a proficient speaker. In R.A.
Berman & I.D Slobin (Eds.). Relating Events in Narrative: A Crosslinguistic
Developmental Study. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates,
Publishers, 579-610
9. Berman, R. A., & Slobin, I. D. (1994). Becoming a native speaker. In R.A. Berman &
I.D Slobin (Eds.). Relating Events in a Narrative: A Crosslinguistic Developmental
Study. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 611-641.
10. Ravid, D. and Tolchinsky, L. (2002). Developing linguistic literacy: A comparative
model. Journal of Child Language, 29, 419-448
11. Levin, T. and Shohamy, E. (2012). Understanding language achievement of
immigrants in schools: The role of multiple academic languages. In M. Leikin, M.
Schwarts and Y. Tobin, (eds.). Current Issues in Bilingualism. Cognitive and Sociolinguistic Perspectives (pp. 137158). New York: Springer
12. Rachel Schiff · Dorit Ravid. (2012). Linguistic processing in Hebrew-speaking
children from low and high SES backgrounds. Reading and Writing, 25:1427–1448
_______
13. DeKeyser, R. M. (2005). What makes learning second-language grammar difficult? A
review of Issues. Language Learning, 55 (S1), 1-25.
14. Slobin, D. I. (1996). From “thought and language” to “thinking for speaking”. In
Gumperz, J. and Levinson, S. (eds.), Rethinking Linguistic Relativity. Studies in the
Social and Cultural Foundations of Language, Volume 17. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 70-96. (Chapter 5)
,‫ חקר‬,‫ אוריינות‬:‫ סקריפט‬.‫ מקרה הסביל‬:‫ ידע לא ילידי בלשון שנייה‬.)2002( '‫שבתאי א' ורביד ד‬-‫אלפי‬
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‫אביב‬-‫ אוניברסיטת תל‬.‫הקיבוץ המאוחד והמכון הישראלי לפואטיקה וסמיוטיקה ע"ש פורטר‬