While there has long been interest in how reward and motivation influence learning, this work has had surprisingly little impact on theories of language acquisition. Research on language learning has tended to focus on representations and processing, often neglecting the factors that determine whether learners engage, persist, or benefit from input. As a result, fundamental questions remain about the conditions under which reward-based incentives effectively support language learning. Addressing these questions is increasingly important in light of declining reading for pleasure and ongoing concerns about oracy. It is also timely given the rapid development of conversational AI, which offers new opportunities to harness intrinsic reward at scale, in contrast to earlier technology-assisted interventions that relied largely on extrinsic incentives.
In this workshop, invited talks from Antoni Rodriguez-Fornells (Barcelona), Nivedita Mani (Göttingen), Adam Parker (UCL), Tom Verguts (Ghent), Chris Madan (Nottingham) and Ana Zappa (Barcelona) will showcase recent advances in reward and language learning, drawing on experimental work from developmental, neuroimaging, and eye-tracking studies. The emphasis will be on clarifying the nature of incentives that influence learning and identifying the mechanisms through which they operate.
Participants will take part in structured discussions and a challenge-led session focused on a concrete problem drawn from educational or clinical practice. The aim is to develop testable paradigms that can be taken forward in collaborative projects. A further goal is to produce a jointly authored paper that sets out key questions and areas of agreement and uncertainty.
Early-career researchers are particularly encouraged to participate and will have opportunities to contribute to discussions and outputs.
Please free to email Saloni Krishnan or Chiara Gambi if you have any further questions