Exploring Second Language Processing through Visual World Eye-Tracking: A Showcase Study

The Visual World Paradigm (VWP) is an eye-tracking method that enables researchers to investigate real-time language processing by monitoring participants’ eye movements while they listen to spoken language and view visual scenes. This poster showcases the use of VWP in second language (L2) processing research, focusing on whether L2 English learners can utilise morphosyntactic information, specifically the aspectual markers -ing and -ed, during online comprehension. Participants listened to sentences containing either progressive or past tense forms while viewing corresponding visual scenes, and their eye movements were recorded. The VWP offers several advantages for second language acquisition research, including its ability to capture implicit, moment-by-moment processing without requiring explicit metalinguistic judgments. The method also provides fine-grained temporal data and is suitable for participants across different age groups. Alongside highlighting key methodological strengths and limitations of the VWP, this poster demonstrates how eye-tracking can contribute to our understanding of the online processing of grammatical information in a second language.