Automaticity and Lexical Skills in Second Language Fluency: Implications for Computer Assisted Language Learning

This article addresses the question of how computer assisted language learning should be designed to promote second language lexical fluency. The discussion reviews findings in the psychological literature concerning the nature of lexical development, transfer appropriate learning, the conditions that promote automaticity in skilled performance, and ways to assess level of automaticity. The paper outlines a possible application of computer assisted language learning to lexical skill development that takes into account the psychological issues reviewed.