Second language vocabulary learning research has so far been predominantly focused on concrete nouns. However, recent work suggests that different word classes lead to differences in grounding, processing and learning of words (Markostamou, 2017; Martin & Tokowicz, 2019). To contribute to the basic understanding of the learning mechanisms, this study investigates how different learning methods influence learning of different types of words (nouns, verbs and prepositions) through either text-based or picture-based learning methods in adult population (N=160). Selected words vary in their translational ambiguity to additionally explore the modality effects in words with different levels of cross-linguistic (dis)similarity (Jarvis & Pavlenko, 2010). Production and recognition tasks are introduced after both learning sessions and again after a one-week delay to obtain comprehensive data about the learning curve across conditions. The results will contribute to understanding how words are represented and conceptualised and how they interact with different modalities during the initial learning phases.

The approximate number system (ANS) underlies our rapid and intuitive sense for quantities (Feigenson et al., 2004). The ANS, tapped into when performing rapid number judgement (DeWind et al., 2015), is affected by the properties of visual stimuli (e.g., object density and grouping). In these studies, we test whether the ANS is also affected by semantic information, an effect previously found in the processing of other types of spatial information (e.g., language presented at encoding affects spatial memory, see Gudde et al., 2016; Loewenstein & Gentner, 2005). We present the results of four experiments manipulating vague quantifiers (few, several, many, lots, 'no quantifier') prior to flashing a visual scene containing a number of objects. If higher-level cognition can penetrate the ANS, we expected that quantifiers presented at encoding would bias approximate number judgments towards the previously presented quantifier. Such results would provide compelling evidence that expectation mediates low-level visual processes.

Spatial demonstratives exist in all languages, but currently there is much debate regarding the parameters that affect their use both between and within languages. In this work, we explore ‘perspective taking' as a means of accounting for variation in demonstrative use both between and within languages. Analysing primary and secondary data, we test the effects of egocentric distance and addressee position on demonstrative production in speakers of two languages with two purportedly different demonstrative systems: English and Japanese. Based on individual differences between speakers, we propose a framework unifying different theoretical accounts of demonstrative systems in which demonstratives require a spatial reference frame to be chosen prior to the application of a range of routines to select the appropriate term in a given context.

Deictic communication is fundamentally multimodal. Spatial demonstratives frequently co-occur with eye gaze and physical pointing to draw the attention of an addressee to an object location (e.g. this cup; that chair). Yet the relative importance of language, gesture and eye gaze in deictic reference has not this far been elucidated. In three online experiments, we manipulated the congruency of pointing, gazing and verbal cues to establish their relative importance for demonstrative choice (Experiment 1) and choice of referent (Experiments 2 and 3). Participants saw an image with a person sitting behind a table, interacting with items placed proximally or distally relative to the pictured person, with manipulation of pointing, eye gaze and language (and congruence/incongruence of these modalities). While all three modalities affected demonstrative choice (Experiment 1) and referent choice (Experiments 2 and 3), results show that pointing is the dominant deictic cue to demonstrative/referent choice.

One large experiment is reported which examined the role of geometry and functional relations on the comprehension of the spatial prepositions over, under, above and below. The task consisted of rating how appropriate a sentence (containing one of these repositions) was to describe a picture. The results show a significant effect of functional relations on the ratings given, demonstrating the importance of functional relations as a determinant of the comprehension of spatial prepositions. However, while over and under were very sensitive to functional relations, above and below were more influenced by geometric relations. Thus these results indicate for the first time that spatial prepositions are differentially influenced by geometric and functional relations, and that geometry and functional relations are distinct factors.

Real-world time-series data can show substantial short-term variability as well as underlying long-term trends. Verbal descriptions from a pilot study, in which participants interpreted a real-world line graph about climate change, revealed that trend interpretation might be problematic (Experiment 1). The effect of providing a graph interpretation strategy, via a linguistic warning, on the encoding of longterm trends was then tested using eye tracking (Experiment 2). The linguistic warning was found to direct visual attention to task-relevant information thus enabling more detailed internal representations of the data to be formed. Language may therefore be an effective tool to support users in making appropriate spatial inferences about data