Article In:
Review of Cognitive Linguistics: Online-First Articles

Shortcomings and challenges in the intersection of L2 pedagogy and applied cognitive linguistics

A case study of the Spanish simple pasts

ORCID logo | Columbia University
| Columbia University
This paper aims to explore the shortcomings and challenges of Applied Cognitive Linguistics (ACL) in L2 classrooms and research. It examines the main issues and presents a case study with three quasi-experimental classroom studies. These experiments taught the Spanish past simple tenses using approaches informed by Cognitive Linguistics and Communicative Language Teaching, plus a control group, through a pretest/posttest design. Results favored cognitive-pedagogical instruction, but only in one production task (Alonso-Aparicio & Llopis-García, 2019). Subsequent studies replicated and extended the first, with further changes in instruction and assessment design, but found no significant differences between experimental groups in the posttest. The discussion highlights the steps taken to ensure study success, pointing out shortcomings in traditional assessment tests that favor notional-functional instruction. We suggest alternative testing tasks that consider cognitive-based approaches and new avenues for future research, aligning with Martín-Gascón et al. (2023).
Keywords: Spanish/L2, Applied Cognitive Linguistics, assessment design, L2 pedagogy, classroom-based research
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Issues in L2 classroom-based research
  • 3.Issues in ACL-based L2 empirical research
  • 4.A case study by way of three empirical studies
    • 4.1STUDY 1 (conducted in 2016; Alonso-Aparicio & Llopis-García, 2019)
      • Research questions and hypotheses
      • Research design
      • Participants
      • Procedure
      • Instructional materials
      • Data elicitation instruments
      • Results from the interpretation task
      • Results from the production task
    • 4.2STUDY 2 (conducted in 2017)
      • Research questions and hypotheses
      • Research design
      • Participants
      • Procedure
      • Instructional materials
      • Data elicitation instruments
      • Results from the interpretation task
      • Results from the production task
    • 4.3STUDY 3 (conducted in 2018)
      • Research questions and hypotheses
      • Research design
      • Participants
      • Procedure
      • Instructional materials
      • Data elicitation instruments
      • Results from the Interpretation task
      • Results from the Production task
  • 5.Discussion of issues in the studies
  • 6.Conclusions
  • Note
  • Author queries
  • References
This content is being prepared for publication; it may be subject to changes.
References (42)
References
Alonso-Aparicio, I., & Llopis-García, R. (2019). La didáctica de la oposición imperfecto/perfecto simple desde una perspectiva cognitiva. In I. Ibarretxe-Antuñano, T. Cadierno & A. Castañeda Castro (Eds.), Lingüística cognitiva y español LE/L2 (pp. 274–299). New York: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Alonso-Raya, R., Castañeda Castro, A., Martínez Gila, P., Miquel López, L., Ortega Olivares, J., & Ruiz Campillo, J. P. (2021). Gramática básica del estudiante de español: A1-B2. Barcelona: Difusión.Google Scholar
Arnett, C., & Suñer, F. (2019). Using Cooperation Scripts and Animations to Teach Grammar in the Foreign Language Classroom. Yearbook of the German Cognitive Linguistics Association, 7 (1), 31–50. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bardovi-Harlig, K., & Comajoan-Colomé, L. (2022). The relation of second language acquisition, instructed second language acquisition, and language teaching from the lens of second language tense-aspect. Language Teaching, 55 (3), 289–345. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Benati, A., & Lee, J. F. (2015). Introduction to the Special Issue. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 53 (2), 87–90. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Bielak, J., & Pawlak, M. (2011). Teaching English tense and aspect with the help of cognitive grammar: An empirical study. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 1 (3), 365–400. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2013). Applying cognitive grammar in the foreign language classroom. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Castañeda Castro, A. (2012). Perspective and meaning in pedagogical descriptions of Spanish as a Foreign Language. In G. Ruiz-Fajardo (Ed.), Methodological developments in teaching Spanish as a second and foreign language (pp. 221–272). Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Pub.Google Scholar
Castañeda Castro, A., & Alhmoud, Z. (2014). Una aproximación al sistema verbal aplicable a la enseñanza de ELE. In A. Castañeda Castro (Ed.), Enseñanza de gramática avanzada de ELE: Criterios y recursos (pp. 267–294). Madrid: SGEL.Google Scholar
Castellano-Risco, I., & Piquer-Píriz, A. M. (2021). Measuring secondary-school L2 learners vocabulary knowledge: Metaphorical competence as part of general lexical competence. In A. M. Piquer-Píriz & R. Alejo-González (Eds.), Metaphor in foreign language instruction (pp. 199–218). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.Google Scholar
Colasacco, M. (2019). A cognitive approach to teaching deictic motion verbs to German and Italian students of Spanish. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 57 (1), 71–95. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Comajoan Colomé, L. (2014). Tense and aspect in second language Spanish. In K. L. Geeslin (Ed.), The Handbook of Spanish second language acquisition (pp. 235–252). Chichester: Wiley.Google Scholar
Comajoan-Colomé, L., & Llop Naya, A. (2021). An SLA-Informed and cognitive linguistic approach to the teaching of L2 Catalan tense-aspect. Círculo de Lingüística Aplicada a la Comunicación, 87 1, 95–120. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
De la Fuente, M. J., Martín Peris, E., & Sans Baulenas, N. (2013). Gente. Manual de español. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.Google Scholar
Esteve Ruescas, O. (2022). Investigar el aula. In I. Santos Gargallo & S. Pastor Cesteros (Eds.), Metodología de la investigación en la enseñanza-aprendizaje del español como segunda lengua(L2): Lengua extranjera (LE), (pp. 171–190). Madrid: Arco/Libros.Google Scholar
Gilliland, B., Kunkel, M., Nguyen, T. H., Urada, K., & Christenson, C. (2023). Ethical dilemmas of teacher research in applied linguistics. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 2 (3), 1–15. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Hijazo-Gascón, A., & Llopis-García, R. (2019). Applied cognitive linguistics and foreign language learning. Introduction to the special issue. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 57 (1), 1–20. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Kermer, F. (2016). A cognitive grammar approach to teaching tense and aspect in the L2 context. Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.Google Scholar
Kissling, E. M., & Arnold, T. (2022). Preliminary evidence that applied cognitive linguistics is effective for novice learners regardless of their individual differences. Language Teaching Research, 0 (0), 1–41. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Lam, Y. (2009). Applying cognitive linguistics to teaching the Spanish prepositions por and para . Language Awareness, 18 (1), 2–18. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Larsen-Freeman, D. (2015). Research into practice: Grammar learning and teaching. Language Teaching, 48 (2), 263–280. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
(2021). Plenary: Applied Cognitive Linguistics for meaningful — and successful! — L2 Language Teaching . 2nd International Conference for Young Researchers in Cognitive Linguistics (YRCL), Online.Google Scholar
(2024). Applied Cognitive Linguistics and L2 instruction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Llopis-García, R., & Alonso-Aparicio, I. (2018). Enseñanza de L2 de corte cognitivo: ¿Qué apunta la investigación empírica? 11th International Conference of the Spanish Cognitive Linguistics Association (AELCO), Universidad de Córdoba.Google Scholar
(2019). Cognitive approaches to L2 pedagogy: Challenges and shortcomings of empirical testing. International Cognitive Linguistics Conference, Gaikun University, Japan.
Low, G. (2020). Taking stock after three decades: “On teaching metaphor” revisited. In A. M. Piquer-Píriz & R. Alejo-González (Eds.), Metaphor in foreign language instruction (pp. 37–56). Berlin & Boston: De Gruyter.Google Scholar
Martín-Gascón, B., Llopis-García, R., & Alonso-Aparicio, I. (2023). Does L2 assessment make a difference? Testing the empirical validity of applied cognitive linguistics in the acquisition of the Spanish/L2 psych-verb construction. Language Teaching Research, 0 (0), 1–25. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Nacey, S. (2017). Metaphor comprehension and production in a second language. In E. Semino & Z. Demjén (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of metaphor and language (pp. 503–516). New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Pérez Serrano, M. (2018). Which type of instruction fosters chunk learning? Preliminary conclusions. Revista de Lingüística y Lenguas Aplicadas, 13 (1), 133–143. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Pütz, M., Niemeier, S., & Dirven, R. (Eds.). (2001). Applied Cognitive Linguistics, II, Language Pedagogy. Berlin: De Gruyter.Google Scholar
Roche, J., & Suñer, F. (2016). Metaphors and grammar teaching. Yearbook of the German Cognitive Linguistics Association, 4 (1), 89–112. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Saaty, R. A. (2020). An enactment-based approach to the teaching of metaphoric expressions: A case of Saudi EFL learners. In A. M. Piquer-Píriz & R. Alejo-González (Eds.), Metaphor in Foreign Language Instruction (pp. 263–286). Berlin: De Gruyter.Google Scholar
Suárez Campos, L. (2023). Menos memoria y más metáfora para aprender una segunda lengua: La competencia metafórica. Encuentro Taller: ICON-MultiMetAR, Universidad de Zaragoza. Retrieved October 8, 2023, from [URL]
(2020). La conceptualización metafórica y metonímica de la IRA en búlgaro y español y su adquisición en español LE/L2. Unpublished dissertation. Universidad de Zaragoza.
Toth, P. D., & Moranski, K. (2018). Why haven’t we solved instructed SLA? A sociocognitive account. Foreign Language Annals, 51 (1), 73–89. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tyler, A. (2012). Cognitive linguistics and second language learning: Theoretical basics and experimental evidence. New York: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tyler, A., & Huang, L. (2018). Introduction. In A. Tyler, L. Huang, & H. Jan (Eds.), What is Applied Cognitive Linguistics? (pp. 1–34). Berlin: De Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Tyler, A., Mueller, C., & Ho, V. (2011). Applying Cognitive Linguistics to Learning the Semantics of English to, for and at: An Experimental Investigation. Vigo International Journal of Applied Linguistics, (8), 180–205.Google Scholar
VanPatten, B. (Ed.). (2004). Processing instruction: Theory, research, and commentary. London: Routledge. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Wirag, A., Li, Y., & Zhang, B. (2022). Applying cognitive linguistics to foreign language teaching and learning: Addressing current research challenges. Cognitive Linguistic Studies, 9 (2), 185–201. DOI logoGoogle Scholar
Zhao, H., Yau, T. S., Li, K., & Wong, N. N. (2018). Polysemy and conceptual metaphors: A cognitive linguistics approach to vocabulary learning. In A. Tyler, L. Huang & H. Jan (Eds.), What is Applied Cognitive Linguistics? (pp. 257–286). Berlin: De Gruyter. DOI logoGoogle Scholar