Research Overview

Jiayi (Chia-Yi) is a PhD researcher in Linguistics at Lancaster University, supervised by Professor Patrick Rebuschat and Dr. Simon Ruiz. Her research lies at the intersection of psycholinguistics, second language acquisition (SLA), and individual differences, with a particular focus on the cognitive mechanisms underlying implicit learning.

Her PhD project investigates how statistical learning processes are modulated by task-induced resource constraints, using a dual-task paradigm in a cross-situational learning (CSL) framework. She is especially interested in how bilingual experience and cognitive flexibility (e.g., working memory, attentional control) interact with learning conditions to shape variability in second language acquisition. Jiayi’s research is process-oriented, mechanism-driven, and aims to contribute to theoretically grounded accounts of variability in L2 learning outcomes.

Before starting her PhD, she completed an MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL at Lancaster University (Distinction), where her dissertation explored the interaction between declarative memory and exposure conditions in CSL.