Our research
The Lancaster Language Learning Lab (4L) investigates how language is acquired and processed across the lifespan. Using laboratory experiments, artificial language learning, EEG, corpus analysis, and computational modelling, we explore the principles that support successful language learning in diverse and multilingual contexts.
Our research is structured around the following key areas:
Language Learning in Childhood. We examine how children draw on phonology, prosody, gesture, and distributional patterns in the input to acquire vocabulary and grammar. We are particularly interested in how early multimodal communicative experiences shape cognition and unfold throughout the learner’s educational trajectory.
Language Learning in Adulthood. Our research explores how adults learn additional languages in both naturalistic and instructional settings. We focus on how prior linguistic experience, cognitive abilities, and learning conditions influence the acquisition of new language systems, including heritage languages.
Implicit and Statistical Learning. We study how learners unconsciously acquire linguistic patterns from exposure to structured input. This work examines the mechanisms of statistical learning and their role in vocabulary and grammar acquisition across different age groups and learning environments.
Individual Differences in Learning. We investigate how variation in cognitive resources—such as working memory and attentional control—shapes language learning outcomes. This research helps explain differences across learners and supports the design of more personalized instructional approaches.
Language, Literacy, and Instruction. We study the relationship between oral language skills and literacy development, and how instruction interacts with learners’ cognitive and linguistic profiles. Our goal is to inform the development of effective and inclusive language education practices.
Sleep and Memory Consolidation. We examine how sleep supports the consolidation and restructuring of linguistic knowledge. Our work explores how rest enhances learning and problem solving, particularly in vocabulary and grammar acquisition.
Multiword and Collocational Processing. We study how learners acquire and process multiword sequences, such as collocations and lexical bundles, in both first and second languages. Using corpus analysis and experimental methods, we examine how frequency, association strength, and prior linguistic experience shape sensitivity to these sequences.
Language Evolution and Learnability. We explore how the structure of language may be shaped by pressures for learnability. Using behavioural experiments and computational models, we investigate how linguistic systems evolve and how these changes can facilitate acquisition.
