John Truscott
Biographic Data
| ID | 1691875 |
|---|---|
| NAME | John Truscott |
| GIVEN NAMES | John |
| FAMILY NAME | Truscott |
| SIGNATURE | TRUSCOTT J |
| AFFILIATIONS | National Tsing Hua University, Taiwan |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-2107-567X |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 8 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 47 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 8 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1996 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Dangerous dichotomies and misunderstandings in L2 research
This article draws attention to the obstacles created by imprecise definitions and misleading dichotomies. In this case the focus is on second language and multilingualism research literature. Despite the obvious benefits of reformulating otherwise complex ideas and approaches in simpler terms in order to distill their essential meaning, misunderstandings and misrepresentations can too easily arise. These can then proliferate within and beyond th…
Modularity, working memory, and second language acquisition
Considerable reason exists to view the mind, and language within it, as modular, and this view has an important place in research and theory in second language acquisition (SLA) and beyond. But it has had very little impact on the study of working memory and its role in SLA. This article considers the need for modular study of working memory, looking at the state of common approaches to the subject and the evidence for modularity, and then consid…
Consciousness in SLA
Understanding the place of consciousness in second language acquisition (SLA) is crucial for an understanding of how acquisition occurs. Considerable work has been done on this topic, but nearly all of it assumes a highly non-modular view, according to which language and its development is ‘nothing special’. As this assumption runs counter to much of the thinking in SLA, there is a need for an account of the place of consciousness within a framew…
Multiple Grammars and Mogul
L'article a pour but de soutenir l'hypothese de Fagan (1988) selon laquelle des constructions intermediaires, comme les constructions ergatives, ne resultent pas de la derivation syntaxique, mais de la generation lexicale et les differences entre ces deux types de constructions sont de nature semantique. La premiere partie de l'article discute des caracteristiques syntaxiques et semantiques des constructions ergatives et intermediaires ; le reste…
The Effects of Repetition and L1 Lexicalization on Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition
This study of incidental vocabulary acquisition through reading, involving 72 freshmen at two Asian universities, investigated (i) the effect of repeated encounters with target words on the development of seven aspects of word knowledge, and (ii) the effect of L1 lexicalization on the acquisition of meaning—does the absence of an L1 translation equivalent make acquisition of a word’s meaning especially difficult? Seven measures were used, immedia…
Stages or Continua in Second Language Acquisition
References to developmental stages and continua seem to be part and parcel of investigations into the acquisition of new grammars. Nonetheless, there seems to be an equivocation in the literature about which is actually the most helpful way of explaining how learner grammars evolve through time. Some see development essentially as gradual growth and, in this perspective, talking about a sequence of discrete stages looks like an artificial way of …
Instance theory and Universal Grammar in second language research
This article considers the possibility of applying instance theory to the study of language, second language in particular. Instance theory de-emphasizes the role of abstract principles in knowledge and its acquisition and use, focusing instead on the storage and retrieval of specific experiences, or instances. I argue that the application is feasible only if one also adopts a restrictive theory of Universal Grammar. I then present a sketch of a …
The Case Against Grammar Correction in L2 Writing Classes
The paper argues that grammar correction in L2 writing classes should be abandoned, for the following reasons: (a) Substantial research shows it to be ineffective and none shows it to be helpful in any interesting sense; (b) for both theoretical and practical reasons, one can expect it to be ineffective; and (c) it has harmful effects. I also consider and reject a number of arguments previously offered in favor of grammar correction
The Case Against Grammar Correction in L2 Writing Classes
The paper argues that grammar correction in L2 writing classes should be abandoned, for the following reasons: (a) Substantial research shows it to be ineffective and none shows it to be helpful in any interesting sense; (b) for both theoretical and practical reasons, one can expect it to be ineffective; and (c) it has harmful effects. I also consider and reject a number of arguments previously offered in favor of grammar correction
Modularity, working memory, and second language acquisition
Considerable reason exists to view the mind, and language within it, as modular, and this view has an important place in research and theory in second language acquisition (SLA) and beyond. But it has had very little impact on the study of working memory and its role in SLA. This article considers the need for modular study of working memory, looking at the state of common approaches to the subject and the evidence for modularity, and then consid…
Instance theory and Universal Grammar in second language research
This article considers the possibility of applying instance theory to the study of language, second language in particular. Instance theory de-emphasizes the role of abstract principles in knowledge and its acquisition and use, focusing instead on the storage and retrieval of specific experiences, or instances. I argue that the application is feasible only if one also adopts a restrictive theory of Universal Grammar. I then present a sketch of a …
The Case Against Grammar Correction in L2 Writing Classes
The paper argues that grammar correction in L2 writing classes should be abandoned, for the following reasons: (a) Substantial research shows it to be ineffective and none shows it to be helpful in any interesting sense; (b) for both theoretical and practical reasons, one can expect it to be ineffective; and (c) it has harmful effects. I also consider and reject a number of arguments previously offered in favor of grammar correction
Instance theory and Universal Grammar in second language research
This article considers the possibility of applying instance theory to the study of language, second language in particular. Instance theory de-emphasizes the role of abstract principles in knowledge and its acquisition and use, focusing instead on the storage and retrieval of specific experiences, or instances. I argue that the application is feasible only if one also adopts a restrictive theory of Universal Grammar. I then present a sketch of a …
Stages or Continua in Second Language Acquisition
References to developmental stages and continua seem to be part and parcel of investigations into the acquisition of new grammars. Nonetheless, there seems to be an equivocation in the literature about which is actually the most helpful way of explaining how learner grammars evolve through time. Some see development essentially as gradual growth and, in this perspective, talking about a sequence of discrete stages looks like an artificial way of …
The Effects of Repetition and L1 Lexicalization on Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition
This study of incidental vocabulary acquisition through reading, involving 72 freshmen at two Asian universities, investigated (i) the effect of repeated encounters with target words on the development of seven aspects of word knowledge, and (ii) the effect of L1 lexicalization on the acquisition of meaning—does the absence of an L1 translation equivalent make acquisition of a word’s meaning especially difficult? Seven measures were used, immedia…
Multiple Grammars and Mogul
L'article a pour but de soutenir l'hypothese de Fagan (1988) selon laquelle des constructions intermediaires, comme les constructions ergatives, ne resultent pas de la derivation syntaxique, mais de la generation lexicale et les differences entre ces deux types de constructions sont de nature semantique. La premiere partie de l'article discute des caracteristiques syntaxiques et semantiques des constructions ergatives et intermediaires ; le reste…
Consciousness in SLA
Understanding the place of consciousness in second language acquisition (SLA) is crucial for an understanding of how acquisition occurs. Considerable work has been done on this topic, but nearly all of it assumes a highly non-modular view, according to which language and its development is ‘nothing special’. As this assumption runs counter to much of the thinking in SLA, there is a need for an account of the place of consciousness within a framew…
Modularity, working memory, and second language acquisition
Considerable reason exists to view the mind, and language within it, as modular, and this view has an important place in research and theory in second language acquisition (SLA) and beyond. But it has had very little impact on the study of working memory and its role in SLA. This article considers the need for modular study of working memory, looking at the state of common approaches to the subject and the evidence for modularity, and then consid…
Dangerous dichotomies and misunderstandings in L2 research
This article draws attention to the obstacles created by imprecise definitions and misleading dichotomies. In this case the focus is on second language and multilingualism research literature. Despite the obvious benefits of reformulating otherwise complex ideas and approaches in simpler terms in order to distill their essential meaning, misunderstandings and misrepresentations can too easily arise. These can then proliferate within and beyond th…
Linguistics (7 works) · Philosophy (6 works) · Psychology (5 works) · Computer Science (4 works) · Philosophy (4 works) · Cognition (3 works) · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition (3 works) · Second-language acquisition (3 works) · Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation (3 works) · Artificial Intelligence (2 works)