Second Language Acquisition Lab

The Second Language Acquisition and Cognition (SLAC) Lab is dedicated to the investigation of second language acquisition, bilingualism, and multilingualism with a focus on speakers' cognition. We are a team of researchers collaborating to gain a deeper understanding of learners' morphology, phonology, syntax, semantics and pragmatics. We draw from broader fields, such as Cognitive Linguistics and Psycholinguistics to answer questions pertaining to learners' cognition.

 

Our Team:

Dr. Vera Lee-Schoenfeld, Primary Investigator

Vera Lee-Schoenfeld, PhD, is primarily a theoretical linguist with a research focus on German syntax. She also has an interest in language acquisition, holding degrees in TESOL and French Language Education. She is the co-author of Language Matters: A Guide to Everyday Questions about Language, Second edition (2010).

Dr. Jean Costa-Silva, Coordinator

Jean's interests pertain to second language acquisition and syntax. His work focuses on Cognitive Linguistics and the acquisition of motion in English and Portuguese. He's interested in how bilinguals acquire language to describe space.

Dr. Pilar Chamorro, Faculty Mentor

Pilar Chamorro's research focuses on the semantic and pragmatic contribution of temporal, aspectual, and modal expressions across languages. She is also interested in the semantics of plurals, the mass/count distinction, and quantification.

 

Caroline Schneider, M.A., Faculty Mentor

Caroline's research focuses on second language acquisition, phonetics & phonology, and sociolinguistics. She is interested in the cognitive factors that affect the acquisition of L2 phonologies and how they interface with the other theoretical subfields of linguistics.

Seaira Lett, PhD Student

Seaira’s interests include language documentation and indigenous languages of Latin America. Her work focuses on the morphosyntax of Chuj, a Mayan language from Guatemala. Seaira previously served as a kindergarten teacher at a dual-language school in Kansas City, MO.

Emre Keser, PhD Student

Emre (he/him) is interested in how language learners process the target language syntax and how syntax evolves through language contact. Emre is also eager to explore more about how computers perceive and generate different varieties of syntax to imitate authentic human language acquisition and use.

Vanessa Revheim, PhD Student

Vanessa is interested in the acquisition of Portuguese as a heritage language. She has over 15 years of experience in the field of Education, having worked in Brazil, the US, and Chile.

Chris Washburn, PhD Student

Chris is a sociolinguist with an interest in pragmatics, phonetics, and sound symbolism. He mentors students on sound symbolism in Japanese.

Emma Dalbo, PhD Student

Emma’s research interests surround the intersection of AI and language teaching. Her primary language of interest is Korean. She studied Linguistics and Computer Science at Boston College, and she previously worked as an English teacher in South Korea.

Sarah Moore, MA Student

Sarah is interested in pragmatics and the acquisition of Portuguese as a foreign language.

Tom Liu, MA Student

Tom holds a background in TESOL, with a strong interest in the intersection of phonology and second language acquisition. His current research interest primarily focuses on how learners acquire suprasegmental features in a second language.

Grant Shubin, Linguistics and Cognitive Science major

Grant is an undergraduate student studying Linguistics and Cognitive Science with a minor in Japanese and TESOL. He is very interested in motivation and its impact on the efficiency of acquiring second languages.

Andrew Vance, Linguistics major

Andrew is an undergraduate student interested in Second Language Acquisition. He currently does research on the acquisition of sound symbolism in L2 Japanese.

Current Research Projects:

  • The acquisition of motion encoding lexicalization patterns
  • The effects of bidirectional transfer on the acquisition of word order
  • The acquisition of L2/L3 syntax and inflectional morphology
  • The acquisition of vowel harmony in onomatopoeia by Korean L2 Learners
  • The acquisition of sound symbolism in L2 Japanese
  • L2 Mandarin speakers' perception of lexical and prosodic tones in Mandarin
  • Language Family Dynamics in TOEFL iBT Scores

Presentations:

  • Costa Silva, J., Hare, B., Chamorro, P., & Lee-Schoenfeld, V. (2025). Motion descriptions by highly proficient L1-Portuguese L2 English speakers. Linguistics Society of America Annual Meeting.
  • Revheim, V., & Brooks, O. (2024). Exploring the Lexical Aspect Among Heritage Speakers of Brazilian Portuguese. Hispanic Linguistics Symposium 2024.
  • Revheim, V., & Brooks, O. (2024). Exploring the Lexical Aspect Among Heritage Speakers of Brazilian Portuguese. The 15th annual Workshop on Immigrant Languages in the Americas.
  • Costa-Silva, J., Zhang, S., Lee-Schoenfeld, V. (2024). "A Matter of Space: The Acquisition of Motion Lexicalization Patterns by English-Portuguese Late Bilinguals". 100th Linguistics Society of America Annual Meeting, New York.
  • Costa-Silva, J; & Hare, B. (2024). "A Link between Languages: Manner and Path Elaboration by Highly Proficient L2 English Learners". South Carolina Spring Research Symposium.
  • Costa-Silva, J., Giddens, C., & Kudyba, S. (2023). "Should you Google it? Analyzing Internet Myths about Language Acquisition". GATESOL: Connect, University of Georgia.
  • Kudyba, S., Giddens, C., Costa-Silva, J., & Lee-Schoenfeld, V. (2023). "The Acquisition of VAC Patterns by L2 English Learners from L1 Mandarin Chinese and L1 Japanese Backgrounds" (talk). 2023 CURO Symposium, University of Georgia.
  • Giddens, C., Kudyba, S., Costa-Silva, J., & Lee-Schoenfeld, V. (2023). "Understanding the Acquisition of English VACs by Speakers of Two Typologically Similar L1s: Brazilian Portuguese and Italian" (poster). 2023 CURO Symposium, University of Georgia.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Do you also focus on non-cognitive factors?

We marginally address these topics whenever they emerge in relation to cognition. Therefore, if you are interested in individual differences (motivation, aptitude etc.) or Instructed SLA (language education/instruction), we strongly encourage contacting our affiliated faculty in the Department of Language and Literacy Education.

Questions?

Email our coordinator, Dr. Jean Costa-Silva, at jeancosta@uga.edu

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