Kathy Conklin
Professor in Psycholinguistics, Faculty of Arts
Contact
Expertise Summary
I am fascinated by how our mind represents and processes all of the complexities of a first (L1) and a second (L2) language. In particular, my research focuses on: 1. the learning, representation and processing of multi-word units (e.g. "bread and butter") in a first (L1) and second (L2) language; 2. implicit and explicit L2 word learning; and 3. automatic word activation in an L1/L2. While much of my work could be termed 'basic research', I believe that part of the value of research is its potential application. Therefore, other elements of my research are more 'applied' and have involved developing innovative interdisciplinary networks with academics from other fields, as well as external partners (e.g. Browne & Jacobson, LLP; Phone-paid Service Authority; BBC). In this research, I apply psycholinguistic techniques to address a range of real-world questions focusing on the readability of language in different contexts by varied segments of the population.
My research makes use of behavioral measures, eye-tracking, and EEG. You can view my video 'The Eyes Trackers' on YouTube or my podcast about Tracking eye movements provides insight into language knowledge, Episode 2 of The Language Scientists.
Teaching Summary
My teaching largely addresses topics like: is the human brain special, how do we learn language and what allows us to learn a first and second language, how do we produce and understand words and… read more
Research Summary
We constantly use language, and it becomes so practiced that we produce it and comprehend it automatically in a variety of contexts in our native language. However, in a nonnative language reduced… read more
My goal is for PhD students to establish themselves as researchers. This means ensuring they receive specialized training in experimental design, using specialized software and equipment (e.g. eye-tracker), data analysis, and writing-up their research for the thesis as well as for publication. Postgrads enter a very competitive global academic and professional market. Thus, I help my PhD students gain skills in applying for grants, presenting at conferences, publishing, and developing collaborative research.
Current PhD Students
Ghozayel Elotteebi - Learning idioms in a first and second language by children and adults
Arwa Alfreah - Learning polysemous words in a second language
Shrowg Alhomaidhi - Children's L2 phonological development
Xinyue Wang - Cognate facilitation in difference script bilinguals
Shatha Alsaif - Second language vocabulary learning with apps
Emily Claughton - Modeling language change in networks
Completed PhD Students
Pablo Aros Muñoz (2023) Metaphor comprehension and learning in second language speakers of English
Aziz Altamimi (2021) The acquisition and processing of formulaic language
Benedict Neurohr (2021) Situational language Understanding in Texts
Julian Northbrook (2020) The impact of teaching-materials on formulaic language processing in Japanese learners of English
Sara Alotaibi (2020) The effect of input mode, input enhancement and number of exposures on the learning and processing of binomials
Marianna Kyriacou (2019) Understanding modified idiomatic expressions
Giulia Grisot (2019) A psycho-stylistic approach to Virginia Woolf's use of free indirect style
Gareth Carrol (2015) Idiom processing in native and non-native speakers
David Allen (2013) Cross-linguistic similarity in Japanese-English bilingual processing and representation
Marie-Josée Bison (2013) Incidental acquisition of foreign language vocabulary through multi-modal situations
Taoli Zhang (2013) Activation of Chinese lexical information following automatic translation from English
Alice Doherty (2013) The use of gender and number cues in L1 and L2 pronoun processing
Emily Coderre (2012) Exploring the Cognitive Effects of Bilingualism: Neuroimaging Investigations of Lexical Processing, Executive Control, and the Bilingual Advantage
Anna Siyanova (2010) On-line processing of multi-word sequences in a first and second language: Evidence from eye-tracking and ERP
My teaching largely addresses topics like: is the human brain special, how do we learn language and what allows us to learn a first and second language, how do we produce and understand words and sentences, how do we use context to produce and understand meaning, and how do we use and understand idioms and metaphor, and understand literary texts?
Undergraduate Modules Taught
3rd Year - Language and the Mind
2nd Year - Language Development
1st Year - Studying Language, I contribute in the areas of "Language Science", "Language and the Brain" and "Language Acquisition"
1st Year - Academic Community
Postgraduate Modules Taught
Psychology of Language
MA by distance learning - Words and Multiword Units
Postgraduate Training
Nottingham Psycholinguistics and Language Learning Lab
Current Research
We constantly use language, and it becomes so practiced that we produce it and comprehend it automatically in a variety of contexts in our native language. However, in a nonnative language reduced proficiency can lead to more mistakes in language production, having a recognizable accent, being slower in reading and comprehension, etc. With well over half the world being bilingual, determining what makes language processing automatic, or 'easier', in a native language, and less so in a nonnative language is an important undertaking. With this in mind, my research focuses on a number of key questions.
(1) Frequent multi-word sequences (fish and chips) are processed more quickly than infrequent or novel sequences (chips and fish). What underpins the processing advantage? And what might allow nonnative speakers to realize this same processing advantage?
(2) It seems impossible to achieve fluency in a L2 simply in the confines of the classroom. What aspects of language, like vocabulary, can be learned implicitly? And what factors impact implicit L2 learning?
(3) Words from a L1 are activated when processing in a L2. Thus, L1 coinEnglish is activated when reading L2 coinFrench. What factors influence this automatic activation? For example, what is the role of the amount of cross-linguistic overlap? Also, what is the impact of non-selective activation on cognitive control?
I also use psycholinguistic techniques to study language in real-world contexts. Together with Dr. Richard Hyde (School of Law) and Dr. Fabio Parente (School of English), we have been looking at the readability of language in legal and other contexts.
- Working with Browne and Jacobson, LLP, we used readability measures, questionnaires and eye-tracking to explore how various segments of the population read legal documents. Our findings allowed us to develop guidelines to reduce the reading age of one insurance policy by 10 years: from doctorate level to that of an eighth-grade student (i.e. a 12-13 year-old). This increased the percentage of the U.K. population that could understand the policy by some 75%, from 13.4% to 89% (an increase of 40.4 million people). We have also done work for: Beazley Insurance, Ecclesiastical Insurance, Cornish Mutual Insurance and Habito (online mortgage broker).
- Working with the Phone-paid Service Authority (PSA), which is the U.K. regulator for the content, goods and services that are charged to a phone bill, we looked at webpages with paid phone connection services to discover: 1) how people's web searches lead them to such webpages, 2) what people look at on these webpages (incorrect logos, misspellings, any disclaimers, etc.); and 3) people's ability to detect that they have landed on such webpages. Based on the results of this research, we helped PSA to develop an evidence-based Code of Practice that helps protect consumers from harm, which they have used as a basis for proposing regulatory changes in the U.K. for Information, Connection & Signposting Services (ICSS) (April 2019).
Notably, my research makes use of behavioral measures, eye-tracking, and EEG. You can view my video 'The Eyes Trackers' on YouTube or my podcast about '2nd Language Processing'. You can see more about what I research by clicking on the Research Supervision tab. My book on using eye-tracking technology in applied Linguistics was recently released.
CONKLIN, K.,PELLICER-SÁNCHEZ, A., & CARROL, G. (2018). An introduction to eye-tracking: A guide for applied linguistics research. Cambridge University Press.