Research Interests

I am a cognitive psychologist interested in language and memory. My particular interest is in the psycholinguistics of bilingualism and my research examines both early stages of second language acquisition and proficient bilingual performance. In the acquisition work, my students and I have been asking why it appears to be easier for some people to acquire a second language than others and what contexts of acquisition facilitate conceptual understanding of words in the second language. In the work on language processing in proficient bilinguals we have been especially interested in how bilinguals juggle the mental competition between the words available in each of their two languages to produce words in the language in which they intend to speak. In many respects this is an extraordinary cognitive feat. My students and I pursue this research in our laboratory at Penn State and also in collaboration with colleagues in The Netherlands, Spain, and the UK.

The Purple Lab

Recent Publications and Presentations

Books

Kroll, J. F., & De Groot, A. M. B., Eds. (in press). Handbook of bilingualism: Psycholinguistic approaches. New York: Oxford University Press.

De Groot, A. M. B., & Kroll, J. F., Eds. (1997). Tutorials in bilingualism: Psycholinguistic perspectives. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Journal Articles and Book Chapters

In Progress

Kroll, J. F., Dietz, F., & Green, D. W. (in preparation). Language switching in picture naming and translation: Task and not language determines switch costs.

Kroll, J. F., Dijkstra, A., Janssen, N., & Schriefers, H. (in preparation). Selecting the language in which to speak: Cued-picture naming experiments on lexical access in bilingual production.

Sunderman, G., Persaud, A., & Kroll, J. F. (in preparation). When language learning is not a matter of talent alone: The effects of cognitive abilities and study abroad experiences on language processing.

Christoffels, I. K., De Groot, A. M. B., & Kroll, J. F. (in preparation). Memory and language skill in simultaneous interpreting: The role of expertise and language proficiency.

Kroll, J. F., Gerfen, C., & Dussias, P. (in preparation). Laboratory designs and paradigms in psycholinguistics. To appear in L. Wei & M. Moyer (Eds.), The Blackwell guide to research methods in bilingualism. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers

Kroll, J. F., Bobb, S., & Wodniekca, Z. (in preparation). The structure of the bilingual lexicon: Consequences of asymmetries in language representation for speech production. Invited paper for a special issue of Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, A. Costa (Ed.).

Schwartz, A. I., & Kroll, J. F. (under review). Bilingual lexical activation in sentence context.

Sunderman, G., & Kroll, J. F. (under revision). The role of the first language in acquiring lexical proficiency in a second language.

Hoshino, N., Dussias, P., & Kroll, J. F. (under revision). Accessing conceptual information in the production of subject-verb agreement.

Schwartz, A. I., Kroll, J. F., & Diaz, M. (under revision). Reading words in Spanish and English: Mapping orthography to phonology in two languages.

Tokowicz, N., & Kroll, J. F. (under revision). Accessing meaning for words in two languages: The effects of lexical and semantic ambiguity in bilingual production.

Tokowicz, N., Michael, E., & Kroll, J. F. (in press). The roles of study abroad experience and working memory capacity in the types of errors made during translation. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition.

Kroll, J. F., & Tokowicz, N. (in press). Models of bilingual representation and processing. In J. F. Kroll & A. M. B. De Groot (Eds.). Handbook of Bilingualism: Psycholinguistic Approaches. New York: Oxford University Press.

Kroll, J. F., Sumutka, B. M., & Schwartz, A. I. (in press). A cognitive view of the bilingual lexicon: Reading and speaking words in two languages. International Journal of Bilingualism.

Published

Kroll, J. F., & Dussias, P. (2004). The comprehension of words and sentences in two languages. In T. Bhatia & W. Ritchie (Eds.). Handbook of Bilingualism (pp. 169-200). Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers.

Sebastián-Gallés, N., & Kroll, J. F. (2003). Phonology in bilingual language processing: Acquisition, perception, and production. In N. Schiller & A. Meyer (Eds.). Phonetics and phonology in language comprehension and production: Differences and similarities (pp. 279-317). Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.

Kroll, J. F., &Sunderman, G. (2003). Cognitive processes in second language acquisition: The development of lexical and conceptual representations. In C. Doughty & M. Long (Eds.), Handbook of second language acquisition (pp. 104-129). Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers.

Tokowicz, N., Kroll, J. F., De Groot, A.M.B., & Van Hell, J.G. (2002). Number of translation norms for Dutch-English translation pairs: A new tool for examining language production. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, and Computers, 34, 435-451.

Miller, N. A., & Kroll, J. F. (2002). Stroop effects in bilingual translation. 30, 614-628.

Kroll, J. F., Michael, E., Tokowicz, N., & Dufour, R. (2002). The development of lexical fluency in a second language. Second Language Research, 18, 137-171.

De Bot, K., & Kroll, J. F. (2002). Psycholinguistics. In N. Schmitt (Ed.), Introduction to Applied Linguistics (pp. 133-149). Arnold Publishers.

Kroll, J. F., & Dijkstra, A. (2002). The bilingual lexicon. In R. Kaplan (Ed.), Handbook of Applied Linguistics (pp. 301-321). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Jared, D. & Kroll, J. F. (2001). Do bilinguals activate phonological representations in one or both of their languages when naming words? Journal of Memory and Language, 44, 2-31.

Gollan, T., & Kroll, J. F. (2001). Bilingual lexical access. In B. Rapp (Ed.), The handbook of cognitive neuropsychology: What deficits reveal about the human mind (pp. 321-345). Philadelphia, PA: Psychology Press.

Kroll, J. F., & Tokowicz, N. (2001). The development of conceptual representation for words in a second language. In J. L. Nicol (Ed.), One Mind, two languages: Bilingual language processing (pp. 49-71). Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Publishers.

Talamas, A., Kroll, J. F., & Dufour, R. (1999). Form related errors in second language learning: A preliminary stage in the acquisition of L2 vocabulary. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 2, 45-58.

Kroll, J. F., & Michael, E. (1998). Not by words alone: Comment on a proposal for the control of access to bilingual language representations. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 1, 90-91.

Kroll, J. F., Michael, E., & Sankaranarayanan, A. (1998). A model of bilingual representation and its implications for second language acquisition. In A. F. Healy & L. E. Bourne (Eds.), Foreign Language Learning: Psycholinguistic Experiments on Training and Retention (pp. 365-395). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers.

Kroll, J. F., & De Groot, A. M. B. (1997). Lexical and conceptual memory in the bilingual: Mapping Form to Meaning in Two Languages. In A.M.B. de Groot & J. F. Kroll (Eds.), Tutorials in bilingualism: Psycholinguistic perspectives (pp. 169-199). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers. [Reprinted in G. Altmann, Ed. (2002). Psycholinguistics: Critical concepts in psychology (Vol 2, Chapter 20). New York: Routledge.]

De Groot, A.M.B., & Kroll, J. F. (1997). Tutorials in Bilingualism: Introduction and Preview. In A.M.B. de Groot & J. F. Kroll (Eds.), Tutorials in bilingualism: Psycholinguistic perspectives (pp. 1-16). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers.

Altarriba, J., Kroll, J. F., Sholl, A., & Rayner, K. (1996). The influence of lexical and conceptual constraints on reading mixed-language sentences: Evidence from eye-fixation and naming times. Memory & Cognition, 24, 477-492.

Sholl, A., Sankaranarayanan,A., & Kroll, J. F. (1995). Transfer between picture naming and translation: A test of asymmetries in bilingual memory. Psychological Science, 6, 45-49.

Dufour, R., & Kroll, J. F. (1995). Matching words to concepts in two languages: A test of the concept mediation model of bilingual representation. Memory & Cognition, 23, 166-180.

Kroll, J. F., & Stewart, E. (1994). Category interference in translation and picture naming: Evidence fo r asymmetric connections between bilingual memory representations. Journal of Memory and Language, 33, 149-174.

Presentations

Recent Invited Lectures and Colloquia

Kroll, J. F. (2005). How do bilinguals choose one language to speak? Colloquium to be given to the University Seminar on Language and Cognition, Columbia University, NY.

Kroll, J. F. (2005). Cognitive and psycholinguistic approaches to bilingualism. Invited plenary address to be given at the Fifth International Symposium on Bilingualism, Barcelona, Spain.

Kroll, J. F. (2004). Reading and speaking words in two languages: A problem in representation and control. Colloquium given to the Cognitive Science Program, University of Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.

Kroll, J. F. (2003). When the mind meets the mouth: Learning to speak a second language. Plenary Lecture, Second Language Research Forum, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ.

Kroll, J. F. (2003). Do bilinguals have a mental ATM card? Evidence on language selection in second language learners and proficient bilinguals. Colloquium given to Departament de Psicologia Básica, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Kroll, J. F. (2003). Developing lexical proficiency in a second language. Colloquium given to the Program in Linguistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.

Kroll, J. F. (2003). Selecting the language in which to speak: A psycholinguistic approach to bilingual language production. Colloquium given to the Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC.

Kroll, J. F. (2003). A cognitive view of second language acquisition. Colloquium given to the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Gallaudet University, Washington, DC.

Kroll, J. F. (2002). Selecting the language in which to speak: A psycholinguistic approach to bilingual language production. Colloquium presented to the Foreign Language Learning Colloquium Series, Washington University, St. Louis, MO.

Kroll, J. F. (2002). Developing lexical proficiency in a second language. Workshop presented to the Department of Romance Languages, Washington University, St. Louis, MO.

Kroll, J. F. (2002). Lexical access in second language learners and proficient bilinguals: Experiments on language selection and control. Paper presented at the Expert Meeting on Processing and storage of linguistic information in bilinguals, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Recent Presentations at Professional Meetings

Wodniecka, Z., Bobb, S., Kroll, J. F., & Green, D. W. (2004). Modulating cross-language activation in spoken production: Evidence from primed picture naming. Poster to be presented at the 45rd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Minneapolis., MN.

Bobb, S., Wodniecka, Kroll, J. F., & Green, D. W. (2004). When bilinguals speak: Selecting words in one language when the other language has been primed. Poster to be presented at the Second Language Research Forum, University Park, PA.

De Groot, A. M. B., & Kroll, J. F. (2004). The promise of bilingualism for cognitive psychology. Introduction to be presented to the symposium, The contribution of research on bilingualism to cognitive psychology, at the 45rd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Minneapolis., MN.

Schwartz, A. I., & Kroll, J. F. (2004). The nature of cross-language lexical activation in sentence context: A psycholinguistic approach. Paper presented at the 4th International Conference on the Mental Lexicon, Windsor, Ontario.

Sumutka, B. M., & Kroll, J. F. (2004). Lexical parsing strategies in bilinguals: Evidence for the acquisition of second language processing preferences. Poster presented at the 4th International Conference on the Mental Lexicon, Windsor, Ontario.

Hoshino, N., Dussias, P., & Kroll, J. F. (2004). The interaction of syntax and semantics in the production of subject-verb agreement in monolingual and bilingual speakers. Poster presented at the 4th International Conference on the Mental Lexicon, Windsor, Ontario.

Sunderman, G., & Kroll, J. F. (2004). Producing words in a second language: Negotiating cross-language competition. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Association of Applied Linguistics, Portland, OR.

Kroll, J. F., Chwilla, D. J., & Hoshino, N. (2003). Resolving semantic ambiguity within and across languages. Paper presented at the European Society for Cognitive Psychology, Granada, Spain.

Wodniecka, Z., Kroll, J. F., & D’bowska, M. D. (2003). Using simple arithmetic to examine the nature of WM resources in second language use. Poster presented at the European Society for Cognitive Psychology, Granada, Spain.

Hoshino, N., Dussias, P., & Kroll, J. F. (2003). The production of subject-verb agreement in a second language. Poster presented at the Twentieth Japanese Cognitive Science Society, Chofu, Tokyo, Japan.

Francis, W., Tokowicz, N., & Kroll, J. F. (2003). Translation Priming as a Function of Bilingual Proficiency and Item Difficulty. Poster presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Bilingualism, Tempe, AZ.

Hasson, S., & Kroll, J. F. (2003). Cross-language phonological priming: A study of word and picture naming. Paper presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Bilingualism, Tempe, AZ.

Hoshino, N., Dussias, P., & Kroll, J. F. (2003). Production of Subject-Verb Agreement in Second Language Learners and Proficient bilinguals: Do Individual Differences in Reading Span and Verbal Fluency Modulate Their Performance? Paper presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Bilingualism, Tempe, AZ.

Jacobs, A. L. , Gerfen, H., Kroll, J. F. (2003). Do Cognates Facilitate the Acquisition of L2 Phonology? An Examination of Segmental Production Accuracy in Adult Learners of Spanish. Paper presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Bilingualism, Tempe, AZ.

Michael, E., Tokowicz. N., & Kroll, J. F. (2003). Modulating Access to L2 Words: The Role of Individual Differences and Language Immersion Experience. Paper presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Bilingualism, Tempe, AZ.

Schwartz, A. I., & Kroll, J. F. (2003). The nature of cross-language lexical activation in sentence context. Paper presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Bilingualism, Tempe, AZ.

Sunderman, G., & Kroll, J. F. (2003). Speaking words in a second language: The role of proficiency and individual differences in negotiating cross-language competition. Paper presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Bilingualism, Tempe, AZ.

Tokowicz, N. & Kroll, J. F. (2003). The Role of L2 Immersion Experience and Working Memory Capacity on Translation Performance. Paper presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Bilingualism, Tempe, AZ.

Wodniecka, Z., & Kroll, J. F., (2003). Number cognition and the control of cognitive resources in L2 learners. Paper presented at the Fourth International Symposium on Bilingualism, Tempe, AZ.

Michael, E., Dijkstra, T., & Kroll, J. F. (2002). Individual differences in working memory and bilingual control processes. Poster presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Kansas City, MO.

Hoshino, N., Dussias, P., & Kroll, J. F. (2002). Production of subject-verb agreement in second language learners and proficient bilinguals. Poster presented at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Kansas City, MO.

Sumutka, B. M., Kroll, J. F., De Groot, A. M. B., & Borgwaldt, S. (2002). Lexical parsing in monolingual and bilingual speakers. Poster presented the Third International Conference on the Mental Lexicon, Banff, Canada.

Michael, E., Dijkstra, T., & Kroll, J. F. (2002). Individual differences in the degree of language nonselectivity in fluent bilinguals. Paper presented at the meeting of the International Linguistic Association, Toronto, Canada.

Schwartz, A., Sunderman, G., Persaud, A., Geacone, J., Hoshino, N., & Kroll, J. F. (2002). First language costs during second language learning. Poster presented at the meeting of the American Association of Applied Linguistics, Salt Lake City, UT.