June Eyckmans
Biographic Data
| ID | 3843855 |
|---|---|
| NAME | June Eyckmans |
| GIVEN NAMES | June |
| FAMILY NAME | Eyckmans |
| SIGNATURE | EYCKMANS J |
| AFFILIATIONS | Ghent University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-0674-9851 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 20 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 26 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2001 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
How misunderstanding polysemous words hinders learning of figurative idioms
Does Information About the Origins of Figurative Idioms Help Learners to Remember Them? A Multi‐Site Study
It has been suggested that informing language learners about the original, literal meaning of idioms helps them to remember these expressions, but the empirical evidence is limited. A new study was conducted with three groups of learners of English (53 Chinese students at a university in Canada, 56 students at a university in China, and 77 high school students in Belgium). Each time, the students were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. I…
Using a metaphor task to explore Tesol students’ beliefs about the roles of teachers
A longitudinal study into learners’ productive collocation knowledge in L2 German and factors affecting the learning
This longitudinal study explored the roles of item- and learner-related variables in L2 learners’ development of productive collocation knowledge (L1 = Dutch; L2 = German; N Learners = 50). Learners’ form recall knowledge of 35 target collocations was measured three times over a 3-year period. The item-related variables investigated were L1-L2 congruency, corpus frequency, association strength, and imageability. We also explored the learner-relat…
Formal Versus Informal L2 Learning
A second language can be learned inside and outside the classroom. In this study we investigated the English and French vocabulary knowledge of 110 Dutch-speaking children (age 10–12), who received 100 hours of instruction in French, whereas their contact with English came from out-of-school exposure only. We examined the role of individual differences (out-of-school exposure and gender) and word-related variables (cognateness, frequency, and lan…
I took physical lessons for granted”
Young learners’ L2 English after the onset of instruction
In this study we investigated 107 young learners’ L2 English receptive vocabulary knowledge and speaking skills at two points in time, before and after the onset of instruction. We also investigated the role of several individual difference variables: out-of-school exposure to English, length of instruction, analytic reasoning ability, working memory, L1 vocabulary knowledge and prior L2 knowledge. Results show that L2 English proficiency in rece…
The Retrievability of L2 English Multiword Items in a Context of Strongly Form-Focused Exposure
Although retrieval of lexical forms is a prerequisite for language production, research of L2 vocabulary learning has focused much more on meanings and form-meaning mappings than on development of detailed, accessible mental representations of forms. This is particularly true with respect to multi-word items (MWIs). We report an experimental study involving a variety of intra-lexical, usage-based, and interlingual co-determinants of L2 vocabulary…
Learning English through out-of-school exposure. Which levels of language proficiency are attained and which types of input are important?
In this study we examined the level of English proficiency children can obtain through out-of-school exposure in informal contexts prior to English classroom instruction. The second aim was to determine the input types that fuel children's informal language acquisition. Language learning was investigated in 780 Dutch-speaking children (aged 10–12), who were tested on their English receptive vocabulary knowledge, listening, speaking, reading and w…
The effect of frequency on learners’ ability to recall the forms of deliberately learned L2 multiword expressions
In incidental learning, open class vocabulary items with high or relatively high objective frequency in input are comparatively likely to be acquired. However, many single words and most multiword expressions (MWEs) occur infrequently in authentic input. It has therefore been argued that learners of school age or older can benefit from episodes of instructed or self-managed deliberate (or intentional) L2 vocabulary learning, especially when L2 is…
Comparing the merits of word writing and retrieval practice for L2 vocabulary learning
Learning English Through Out‐of‐School Exposure
This study aimed to investigate which word‐related variables play a role in Dutch‐speaking children's L2 word learning through out‐of‐school exposure prior to classroom instruction in the foreign language. We used different measures to investigate the role of frequency, concreteness, cognateness, and age of acquisition (AoA) in receptive vocabulary learning. The results showed that cognateness and L1 AoA were important predictors of receptive wor…
Investigating the presumed cognitive advantage of aspiring interpreters
In complex tasks such as interpreting, the importance of a well-functioning working memory can hardly be overestimated. However, empirical studies have failed to produce consistent results with regard to an interpreter advantage in working memory. Recent studies tend to focus on the executive component of working memory. To our knowledge, no such study has compared the possible cognitive advantage of aspiring interpreters relative to other multil…
Metalinguistic awareness in L2 vocabulary acquisition
Research has shown that prompting learners to elaborate on the appropriateness of form-meaning links can be an efficient vocabulary learning exercise (Deconinck, Boers & Eyckmans, 2017). In this paper we wish to shed more light on the mental processes that occur during this specific elaborative task by investigating the influence of individual learner variables pertaining to prior linguistic knowledge and a number of word-specific features. To th…
Birds of a feather? A comparison of the personality profiles of aspiring interpreters and other language experts
Since the early days of translation and interpreting studies, scholars have emphasized the value of certain personality related traits for translation and interpreting performance. Especially in the conference interpreter world, preconceived opinions about the desired personality traits for conference interpreters seem to exist. However, there is little to no empirical evidence to either corroborate or refuse these ideas. In this paper we aim to …
Contextual Word Learning with Form-Focused and Meaning-Focused Elaboration
Contextual L2 word learning may be facilitated by increasing readers’ engagement with form and meaning of novel words. In the present study, two adult L2 populations, Chinese and Dutch speakers, read English sentences that contained novel vocabulary. These contextual exposures were accompanied either by form-focused elaboration (i.e. word-writing) or by meaning-focused elaboration (i.e. actively deriving word meaning from context). Immediate and …
Typographic enhancement of multiword units in second language text
This study examines the effect of typographic enhancement on L2 learners’ intake of multiword units from reading. EFL learners read texts in one of three versions: (1) with many multiword units underlined; (2) with half of these multiword units underlined; and (3) without any underlining. The learners were subsequently asked to identify the multiword units they remembered encountering in the texts. The purpose of the text version in which only ha…
The impact of imposing processing strategies on L2 learners' deliberate study of lexical phrases
How big is the positive effect of assonance on the recall of L2 collocations
High proficiency in L2 partly depends on acquiring many formulaic sequences (FSs), yet post-childhood learners find this difficult. Ways of accelerating the acquisition of FSs would be welcome. Small-scale studies have indicated that assonance (e.g., strong bond ) makes studied FSs especially retrievable if, during exposure, assonance is made the object of teacher-instigated awareness-raising and attention direction. However, questions remain abo…
Is alliteration mnemonic without awareness-raising
English phraseology abounds with alliterative multiword units (e.g., slippery slope), which suggests that alliterative word strings have a comparative advantage to become stock phrases. One plausible explanation for this advantage is that alliterative word strings are relatively memorable, all else being equal, although there is little directly pertinent empirical evidence. In the context of instructed second language acquisition, it has been sug…
The effect of a discrimination task on L2 learners' recall of collocations and compounds
This paper reports an experiment in which 24 two‐word phrases (collocations and compounds) were dictated to 38 adult EFL students who were then asked to discriminate between ones which manifest consonant repetition across the two words (e.g. p riva t e p ro p er t y ; im p orta nt p oi nt , ) and ones which do not (e.g. private collection ; important thing ). The students' ability to recall the phrases was subsequently gauged in unannounced tests…
A story of attitudes and aptitudes
Unlike in the early days of interpreter training, most student interpreters nowadays are still in the process of acquiring their target language(s), which raises questions as to which skills — linguistic as well as non-linguistic — may be required at the outset of interpreter training. This study focuses on individual difference variables and how these relate to interpreting students’ performance. It aims to investigate the ways in which the prof…
Helping learners engage with L2 words
The pace at which new words are acquired is influenced by the degree of engagement with them on the part of the learner. Insights from cognitive linguistics into the non-arbitrary aspects of vocabulary can be turned into stimuli for such engagement. The majority of Cognitive Linguists’ proposals for vocabulary teaching aim at helping learners appreciate the way a single word form can develop different meanings. This, however, presupposes knowledg…
Pour Une Évaluation Normative De La Compétence De Traduction
Après un bref aperçu des risques d’infidélité d’une évaluation critériée de la compétence de traduction, liés principalement à la subjectivité du correcteur, nous mettons en évidence les limites des tentatives d’objectivation du processus d’évaluation au moyen de grilles de correction ou d’évaluation de la qualité telles qu’utilisées dans les écoles de traduction et le monde professionnel. Pour pallier le manque de fidélité des épreuves de traduc…
Formulaic sequences and perceived oral proficiency
This study reports a small-scale experiment that was set up to estimate the extent to which (i) the use of formulaic sequences (standardized phrases such as collocations and idiomatic expressions) can help learners come across as proficient L2 speakers and (ii) an instructional method that emphasizes ‘noticing’of L2 formulaic sequences can help language learners add such phrases to their linguistic repertoire. Participants were 32 college student…
A story of attitudes and aptitudes
Unlike in the early days of interpreter training, most student interpreters nowadays are still in the process of acquiring their target language(s), which raises questions as to which skills — linguistic as well as non-linguistic — may be required at the outset of interpreter training. This study focuses on individual difference variables and how these relate to interpreting students’ performance. It aims to investigate the ways in which the prof…
Typographic enhancement of multiword units in second language text
This study examines the effect of typographic enhancement on L2 learners’ intake of multiword units from reading. EFL learners read texts in one of three versions: (1) with many multiword units underlined; (2) with half of these multiword units underlined; and (3) without any underlining. The learners were subsequently asked to identify the multiword units they remembered encountering in the texts. The purpose of the text version in which only ha…
The impact of imposing processing strategies on L2 learners' deliberate study of lexical phrases
Learning English Through Out‐of‐School Exposure
This study aimed to investigate which word‐related variables play a role in Dutch‐speaking children's L2 word learning through out‐of‐school exposure prior to classroom instruction in the foreign language. We used different measures to investigate the role of frequency, concreteness, cognateness, and age of acquisition (AoA) in receptive vocabulary learning. The results showed that cognateness and L1 AoA were important predictors of receptive wor…
Investigating the presumed cognitive advantage of aspiring interpreters
In complex tasks such as interpreting, the importance of a well-functioning working memory can hardly be overestimated. However, empirical studies have failed to produce consistent results with regard to an interpreter advantage in working memory. Recent studies tend to focus on the executive component of working memory. To our knowledge, no such study has compared the possible cognitive advantage of aspiring interpreters relative to other multil…
Comparing the merits of word writing and retrieval practice for L2 vocabulary learning
Examining the Yes/No vocabulary test
This article evaluates the characteristics of the Yes/No test as a measure for receptive vocabulary size in second language (L2). This evaluation was conducted both on theoretical grounds as well as on the basis of a large corpus of data collected with French learners of Dutch. The study focuses on the internal qualities of the format in comparison with other more classical test formats. The central issue of determining a meaningful test score is…
Formulaic sequences and perceived oral proficiency
This study reports a small-scale experiment that was set up to estimate the extent to which (i) the use of formulaic sequences (standardized phrases such as collocations and idiomatic expressions) can help learners come across as proficient L2 speakers and (ii) an instructional method that emphasizes ‘noticing’of L2 formulaic sequences can help language learners add such phrases to their linguistic repertoire. Participants were 32 college student…
Pour Une Évaluation Normative De La Compétence De Traduction
Après un bref aperçu des risques d’infidélité d’une évaluation critériée de la compétence de traduction, liés principalement à la subjectivité du correcteur, nous mettons en évidence les limites des tentatives d’objectivation du processus d’évaluation au moyen de grilles de correction ou d’évaluation de la qualité telles qu’utilisées dans les écoles de traduction et le monde professionnel. Pour pallier le manque de fidélité des épreuves de traduc…
Helping learners engage with L2 words
The pace at which new words are acquired is influenced by the degree of engagement with them on the part of the learner. Insights from cognitive linguistics into the non-arbitrary aspects of vocabulary can be turned into stimuli for such engagement. The majority of Cognitive Linguists’ proposals for vocabulary teaching aim at helping learners appreciate the way a single word form can develop different meanings. This, however, presupposes knowledg…
A story of attitudes and aptitudes
Unlike in the early days of interpreter training, most student interpreters nowadays are still in the process of acquiring their target language(s), which raises questions as to which skills — linguistic as well as non-linguistic — may be required at the outset of interpreter training. This study focuses on individual difference variables and how these relate to interpreting students’ performance. It aims to investigate the ways in which the prof…
The effect of a discrimination task on L2 learners' recall of collocations and compounds
This paper reports an experiment in which 24 two‐word phrases (collocations and compounds) were dictated to 38 adult EFL students who were then asked to discriminate between ones which manifest consonant repetition across the two words (e.g. p riva t e p ro p er t y ; im p orta nt p oi nt , ) and ones which do not (e.g. private collection ; important thing ). The students' ability to recall the phrases was subsequently gauged in unannounced tests…
How big is the positive effect of assonance on the recall of L2 collocations
High proficiency in L2 partly depends on acquiring many formulaic sequences (FSs), yet post-childhood learners find this difficult. Ways of accelerating the acquisition of FSs would be welcome. Small-scale studies have indicated that assonance (e.g., strong bond ) makes studied FSs especially retrievable if, during exposure, assonance is made the object of teacher-instigated awareness-raising and attention direction. However, questions remain abo…
Is alliteration mnemonic without awareness-raising
English phraseology abounds with alliterative multiword units (e.g., slippery slope), which suggests that alliterative word strings have a comparative advantage to become stock phrases. One plausible explanation for this advantage is that alliterative word strings are relatively memorable, all else being equal, although there is little directly pertinent empirical evidence. In the context of instructed second language acquisition, it has been sug…
Contextual Word Learning with Form-Focused and Meaning-Focused Elaboration
Contextual L2 word learning may be facilitated by increasing readers’ engagement with form and meaning of novel words. In the present study, two adult L2 populations, Chinese and Dutch speakers, read English sentences that contained novel vocabulary. These contextual exposures were accompanied either by form-focused elaboration (i.e. word-writing) or by meaning-focused elaboration (i.e. actively deriving word meaning from context). Immediate and …
Typographic enhancement of multiword units in second language text
This study examines the effect of typographic enhancement on L2 learners’ intake of multiword units from reading. EFL learners read texts in one of three versions: (1) with many multiword units underlined; (2) with half of these multiword units underlined; and (3) without any underlining. The learners were subsequently asked to identify the multiword units they remembered encountering in the texts. The purpose of the text version in which only ha…
The impact of imposing processing strategies on L2 learners' deliberate study of lexical phrases
Metalinguistic awareness in L2 vocabulary acquisition
Research has shown that prompting learners to elaborate on the appropriateness of form-meaning links can be an efficient vocabulary learning exercise (Deconinck, Boers & Eyckmans, 2017). In this paper we wish to shed more light on the mental processes that occur during this specific elaborative task by investigating the influence of individual learner variables pertaining to prior linguistic knowledge and a number of word-specific features. To th…
Birds of a feather? A comparison of the personality profiles of aspiring interpreters and other language experts
Since the early days of translation and interpreting studies, scholars have emphasized the value of certain personality related traits for translation and interpreting performance. Especially in the conference interpreter world, preconceived opinions about the desired personality traits for conference interpreters seem to exist. However, there is little to no empirical evidence to either corroborate or refuse these ideas. In this paper we aim to …
Investigating the presumed cognitive advantage of aspiring interpreters
In complex tasks such as interpreting, the importance of a well-functioning working memory can hardly be overestimated. However, empirical studies have failed to produce consistent results with regard to an interpreter advantage in working memory. Recent studies tend to focus on the executive component of working memory. To our knowledge, no such study has compared the possible cognitive advantage of aspiring interpreters relative to other multil…
Learning English through out-of-school exposure. Which levels of language proficiency are attained and which types of input are important?
In this study we examined the level of English proficiency children can obtain through out-of-school exposure in informal contexts prior to English classroom instruction. The second aim was to determine the input types that fuel children's informal language acquisition. Language learning was investigated in 780 Dutch-speaking children (aged 10–12), who were tested on their English receptive vocabulary knowledge, listening, speaking, reading and w…
The effect of frequency on learners’ ability to recall the forms of deliberately learned L2 multiword expressions
In incidental learning, open class vocabulary items with high or relatively high objective frequency in input are comparatively likely to be acquired. However, many single words and most multiword expressions (MWEs) occur infrequently in authentic input. It has therefore been argued that learners of school age or older can benefit from episodes of instructed or self-managed deliberate (or intentional) L2 vocabulary learning, especially when L2 is…
Comparing the merits of word writing and retrieval practice for L2 vocabulary learning
Learning English Through Out‐of‐School Exposure
This study aimed to investigate which word‐related variables play a role in Dutch‐speaking children's L2 word learning through out‐of‐school exposure prior to classroom instruction in the foreign language. We used different measures to investigate the role of frequency, concreteness, cognateness, and age of acquisition (AoA) in receptive vocabulary learning. The results showed that cognateness and L1 AoA were important predictors of receptive wor…
Young learners’ L2 English after the onset of instruction
In this study we investigated 107 young learners’ L2 English receptive vocabulary knowledge and speaking skills at two points in time, before and after the onset of instruction. We also investigated the role of several individual difference variables: out-of-school exposure to English, length of instruction, analytic reasoning ability, working memory, L1 vocabulary knowledge and prior L2 knowledge. Results show that L2 English proficiency in rece…
The Retrievability of L2 English Multiword Items in a Context of Strongly Form-Focused Exposure
Although retrieval of lexical forms is a prerequisite for language production, research of L2 vocabulary learning has focused much more on meanings and form-meaning mappings than on development of detailed, accessible mental representations of forms. This is particularly true with respect to multi-word items (MWIs). We report an experimental study involving a variety of intra-lexical, usage-based, and interlingual co-determinants of L2 vocabulary…
Formal Versus Informal L2 Learning
A second language can be learned inside and outside the classroom. In this study we investigated the English and French vocabulary knowledge of 110 Dutch-speaking children (age 10–12), who received 100 hours of instruction in French, whereas their contact with English came from out-of-school exposure only. We examined the role of individual differences (out-of-school exposure and gender) and word-related variables (cognateness, frequency, and lan…
I took physical lessons for granted”
A longitudinal study into learners’ productive collocation knowledge in L2 German and factors affecting the learning
This longitudinal study explored the roles of item- and learner-related variables in L2 learners’ development of productive collocation knowledge (L1 = Dutch; L2 = German; N Learners = 50). Learners’ form recall knowledge of 35 target collocations was measured three times over a 3-year period. The item-related variables investigated were L1-L2 congruency, corpus frequency, association strength, and imageability. We also explored the learner-relat…
Using a metaphor task to explore Tesol students’ beliefs about the roles of teachers
How misunderstanding polysemous words hinders learning of figurative idioms
Psychology (22 works) · Linguistics (19 works) · Second Language Acquisition and Learning (19 works) · Computer Science (17 works) · Cognitive psychology (14 works) · Vocabulary (12 works) · Mathematics education (9 works) · Natural Language Processing Techniques (8 works) · Natural language processing (7 works) · Recall (7 works)