Kevin McManus, Ph.D.

I am an applied linguist with research and teaching expertise in second language acquisition (SLA) and research methods, especially replication research.

My SLA work investigates how people learn additional languages, with a particular focus on morphosyntax (e.g., tense, aspect, and mood). I am most interested in better understanding how cognitive, social, and instructional factors influence the language learning process, using a variety of study designs (e.g., longitudinal, experimental, corpus-based, mixed-methods, intervention). A large strand of my work centers on crosslinguistic influence in language learning (i.e., how a speaker’s knowledge of one language can influence their use of another language) and the ways in which instruction can support language development, especially for target features that are difficult to acquire due to cross-language differences. These interests have allowed me to study language learning in the lab, during study abroad, and in classrooms (including dual-language immersion programs). I have received several external grants to support my work in these areas, such as from the British Academy, The US Department of Education, and the Japan Society for the Advancement of Science. My book Crosslinguistic Influence and Second Language Learning (Routledge, 2022) presents a comprehensive review of crosslinguistic influence in the field.

I am also very interested in replication research, which represents a growing approach to doing applied linguistics research in the field. Replication studies are important because they allow us to revisit previous studies (especially those that make important claims) in order to better inform future research. My work here has involved doing replication research, developing frameworks for their design, execution, and interpretation, and conducting metascience research to examine current practices in the field. My co-authored book with Graeme Porte Doing Replication Research in Applied Linguistics (Routledge, 2019) introduced a new framework for doing replication studies in the field, with a detailed guide for designing, conducting, and publishing replication studies. I have developed these ideas in subsequent work (e.g., A new standard for replication studies, 2024). I regularly give workshops on replication studies about their rationales, designs, interpretation, and dissemination (e.g., a preconference workshop at AAAL 2025).

I currently serve as an Associate Editor for Studies in Second Language Acquisition. My contributions to the field have been recognized through several awards and honors, including the Albert Valdman Award for Outstanding Publication (2024), the ACTFL-NFMLTA/MLJ Paul Pimsleur Award for Research in Foreign Language Education (2020), and The Best of the Modern Language Journal (2020).

Publications

Forthcoming and preprints

• McManus, K. (accepted). Replication studies in TESOL. TESOL Quarterly. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (accepted). Replication studies in second language acquisition. In Nesi, H. & Milin, P. (Ed). International Encyclopedia of Language and Linguistics (3rd Edition). Elsevier. [Postprint]


• McManus, K., Bayas,K., Kerschen,K., Khoruzhaya, Y., Zhuang, J., & Magnuson, A. (accepted). Revisiting blocking effects in second language learning: A close replication of Ellis and Sagarra (2010b). Language Learning. [Postprint]


• Kisselev, O., Rubina, A., & McManus, K. (accepted). Russian nominative-accusative case distinction: Usage-based classroom-based study of English-speaking learners of L2 Russian. Pedagogical Linguistics. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (accepted). Why and how to replicate quasi-experimentally. [Preprint]


• McManus, K. (accepted). Replication and uncertainty. In Al-Hoorie, A. H. & Greggersen, T. (Eds). The motivation of uncertainty. Applied Linguistics Press. [Postprint]

Books and edited volumes

• McManus, K. (Ed.). (2024). Replication studies in second language acquisition research. Special Issue, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 46(5).


• McManus, K. (Ed) (2024). Usage in second language acquisition. Critical reflections and future directions. Routledge.


• McManus, K. (2022). Crosslinguistic influence and second language learning. Routledge


• McManus, K. & Schmid, M. S. (Eds.). (2022). How special are early birds? Foreign language teaching and learning. Language Science Press.


• Porte, G. & McManus, K. (2019). Doing replication research in applied linguistics. Routledge.


• McManus, K., Vanek, N., Leclercq, P., & Roberts, L. (2017). Tense, aspect, and modality in L2 (TAML2). Special Issue, International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 55(3), 221-345.


• Mitchell, R.F., Tracy-Ventura, N., & McManus, K. (2017). Anglophone students abroad: Identity, social relationships and language learning. Routledge.


• Mitchell, R.F., Tracy-Ventura, N., & McManus, K. (Eds.) (2015). Social interaction, identity and language learning during residence abroad. EUROSLA Monographs series.


• Roberts, L., McManus, K., Vanek, N., &; Trenkic, D. (Eds.) (2015). EUROSLA yearbook 15. John Benjamins.

Journal articles and book chapters

• McManus, K. (2026). Afterword: Taking stock and advancing tense-aspect research in language learning . In Bardel, C., Bergström, A., Gudmundson, A., & Vallerossa, F. (Eds). Tense and aspect in multilingual Romance language education. John Benjamins


• McManus, K. (2026). Usage-based second language acquisition: Main assumptions and learning mechanisms. In Chapelle, C. (Ed). The Encyclopedia of Applied Linguistics (2nd Edition). Wiley.


• McManus, K., Kerschen,K., Khoruzhaya, Y., & Zhuang, J. (2025). Comparing lab-based and remote data collection methods in second language acquisition research. A close replication study. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, 4(3), 100249. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2024). Replication studies in second language acquisition research. Definitions, issues, resources, and future directions. Introduction to the special issue. Special Issue, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 46(5), 1299-1319. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2024). Introducing usage in SLA. In McManus, K. (Ed). Usage in second language acquisition. Critical reflections and future directions. Routledge. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2024). Replication and open science in applied linguistics research. In Plonsky, L. (Ed.). Open Science in Applied Linguistics. Applied Linguistics Press. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2024). Synthsizing usage in SLA. In McManus, K. (Ed). Usage in second language acquisition. Critical reflections and future directions. Routledge. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2024). The future of replication in applied linguistics: Toward a standard for replication studies. Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 44, 133-149. [Postprint]


• Liu, Y. & McManus, K. (2023). Investigating the psychological reality of argument structure constructions and N1 of N2 constructions: A comparison between L1 and L2 speakers of English. Cognitive Linguistics, 34, 503-531. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2023). How and why can explicit instruction about L1 reduce the negative effects of crosslinguistic influence? Evidence from accuracy and reaction time signatures in L1 comprehension. Studies in Second Language Learning and Teaching, 13(3), 507-539. [Postprint]


• Liu, M., Chong, S. W., Marsden, E., McManus, K., Morgan-Short, K., Al-Hoorie, A. H., Plonsky, L., Bolibaugh, C., Hiver, P., Winke, P., Huensch, A., & Hui, B. (2023). Open scholarship in applied linguistics: What, why, and how. Language Teaching, 56(3), 432-437. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2023). How and why to conduct a replication study. In Mackey, A. & Gass, S.M. (Eds.). Current approaches in second language acquisition research (pp 334-351). Wiley. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2023). Practice in study abroad contexts. In Suzuki, Y. (Ed.). Practice and automatization in second language research: Theory, methods, and pedagogical implications (pp 160-178). Routledge. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2022). Are replication studies infrequent because of negative attitudes? Insights from a survey of attitudes and practices in second language research. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 44(5), 1410-1423. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2022). Crosslinguistic influence and L2 grammar learning: Proposed replications of Ellis & Sagarra (2011) and Tolentino & Tokowicz (2014). Language Teaching, 55(4), 565-573. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2022). Replication research in instructed SLA. In Gurzynski-Weiss, L., & Kim, Y. J. (Eds.). Instructed second language acquisition research methods (pp. 103-122). John Benjamins. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. & Bluemel, B. (2022). Instructional practices in English-Chinese and English-Spanish kindergarten dual language immersion classrooms. In McManus, K. & Schmid, M.S. (Eds.). How Special are Early Birds? Foreign Language Teaching and Learning. (pp 145-164). Language Science Press. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. & Liu, Y. (2022). Using elicited imitation to measure global oral proficiency in SLA research. A close replication study. Language Teaching, 55(1), 116-135. [Materials] [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2021). Examining the effectiveness of language-switching practice for reducing cross-language competition in L2 grammatical processing. Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 24(1), 167-184. [Postprint]


• McManus, K., Mitchell, R.F., & Tracy-Ventura, N. (2021). A longitudinal study of advanced learners' linguistic development before, during, and after study abroad. Applied Linguistics, 42(1), 136-163. [Data] [Materials] [Postprint]


• Liu, Y. & McManus, K. (2020). Investigating the use of article-adjective-noun constructions in EFL writing. TESL-EJ, 24(2), 1-19. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2019). Awareness of L1 form-meaning mappings can reduce crosslinguistic effects in L2 grammatical learning. Language Awareness, 28(2), 114-138. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. (2019). Relationships between social networks and language development during study abroad. Language, Culture, and Curriculum, 32(3), 270-284. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. & Marsden E. (2019). Signatures of automaticity during practice. Explicit instruction about L1 processing routines can improve L2 grammatical processing. Applied Psycholinguistics, 40(1), 205-234. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. & Marsden, E. (2019). Using explicit instruction about L1 to reduce crosslinguistic effects in L2 grammar learning. Evidence from oral production in L2 French. The Modern Language Journal, 103(2), 459-480. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. & Marsden, E. (2018). Online and offline effects of L1 practice in L2 grammar learning. A partial replication. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 40(2), 459-475. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. & Marsden, E. (2017). L1 explicit instruction can improve L2 online and offline performance.  Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 39(3), 459-492. [Postprint]


• Tracy-Ventura, N., Dewaele, J.M., Köylü, Z., & McManus, K.(2016). Personality changes after the ‘Year Abroad’?: A mixed-methods study. Study Abroad Research in Second Language Acquisition and International Education,1(1), 107-126. [Postprint]


• Tracy-Ventura, N., Mitchell, R., & McManus, K.(2016). The LANGSNAP longitudinal corpus: Design and use. In Alonso Ramos, M. (Ed.). Spanish Learner Corpus Research: Current Trends and Future Perspectives (pp 117-142). John Benjamins.


• McManus, K.(2015). L1-L2 differences in the acquisition of form-meaning pairings: A comparison of English and German learners of French. Canadian Modern Language Review, 71(2), 51-77. [Postprint]


• McManus, K. & Mitchell, R.F. (2015). Subjunctive use and development in L2 French: A longitudinal study. Language, Interaction and Acquisition, 6(1), 42-73. [Postprint]


• Mitchell, R.F., McManus, K., & Tracy-Ventura, N. (2015). ‘Placement type and language learning during residence abroad’. In Mitchell, R.F., Tracy-Ventura, N., & McManus, K.(Eds.). Social interaction, identity and language learning during residence abroad (pp 115-138). Eurosla Monographs series.


• McManus, K., Mitchell, R.F., & Tracy-Ventura, N. (2014). Understanding insertion and integration in a study abroad context: The case of English-speaking sojourners in France. Revue française de linguistique appliquée, 14(2), 97-116. [Postprint]


• McManus, K., Tracy-Ventura, N., Mitchell, R.F., Richard, L., & Romero de Mills, P. (2014). Exploring the acquisition of the French subjunctive: local syntactic context or oral proficiency? In Leclercq, P., Hilton, H., & Edmonds, A. (Eds.). Measuring L2 Proficiency: Perspectives from SLA (pp 167-190). Multilingual Matters. [Postprint]


• Tracy-Ventura, N., McManus, K., Norris, J.M., & Ortega, L. (2014). “Repeat as much as you can”: Elicited imitation as a measure of oral proficiency in L2 French. In Leclercq, P., Hilton, H., & Edmonds, A. (Eds.). Measuring L2 Proficiency: Perspectives from SLA (pp 143-166). Multilingual Matters. [Postprint]


• McManus, K.(2013). Prototypical influence in second language acquisition: what now for the Aspect Hypothesis? International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 51(3), 299-322. [Postprint]