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Laboratory of Experimental Linguistics and Language Teaching (LLeGS)

Description:
The  Laboratory of Experimental Linguistics and Language Teaching (in Italian Laboratorio di Linguistica e Glottodidattica Sperimentale - LLeGS) conducts behavioral and physiological studies on the acquisition, implicit representations, and processing of first and second languages. Research also focuses on the interface phenomena between guided teaching and the acquisition of Italian as a second language. Implicit data are collected from population samples and analyzed using advanced statistical models.

Theoretical Areas of Interest: The relationship between statistical learning and grammatical learning; Control Theory; Interface phenomena between syntax and semantics; Comprehension of written language by low-literacy users; Language usability.

Mission: Conduct cutting-edge research aligned with the standards of leading international language research centers; Publish findings in high-impact international journals; Promote the knowledge of experimental scientific methods among students and researchers.

Equipment:
The laboratory is equipped as follows:

  • EEG Actichamp system with 64 active electrodes (BrainSystem, including amplifier, recorder, and analyzer) for Event-Related Potentials (ERP) studies;
  • Eye Tracking GazePoint 3 HD (50Hz) for eye-tracking and pupillometry studies;
  • E-Prime 3.0 software for experiment design and presentation;
  • Chronos Multifunctional Response and Stimulus Device;
  • Paradigm Stimulus Presentation Software;
  • Gorilla.sc license for online experimental research.

Ongoing Research Projects: Verbal aspect in Italian (electrophysiological correlates of telic vs. atelic verbs); Acquisition of control in gerunds (self-paced reading experiments); Adjective positioning within the noun phrase; Comprehension processes in bureaucratic Italian language; Acquisition of collocations in Italian as a second language.

Get Involved:
During teaching semesters, the Principal Investigator (Stefano Rastelli) and MA thesis students meet at the lab every Wednesday afternoon around 3 p.m. Anyone interested in participating in ongoing studies and becoming familiar with experimental methods and tools is welcome.

Address:
Palazzo San Tommaso, Piazza del Lino, 2, 27100 Pavia, Italy

Contact:
Prof. Stefano Rastelli, stefano.rastelli@unipv.it