Abstract

Previous research has suggested that alliterative phrases may enjoy a mnemonic advantage in second language (L2) learning, particularly under learning conditions that provide auditory input or explicitly direct learners’ attention to phonological form. However, it remains unclear whether this advantage persists under silent reading conditions, whether it extends beyond receptive learning outcomes, and whether the mnemonic advantage of alliterative phrases is associated with greater attention allocation during reading. To address these research gaps, the present study investigated two questions. First, it examined whether alliterative phrases are more memorable than non-alliterative phrases for L2 English learners across different dimensions of phrase knowledge during silent reading, using both receptive and productive measures of phrase knowledge. Second, it investigated whether alliterative phrases attract greater visual attention during reading, using eye-tracking to capture learners’ attention allocation in real time. Fifty-five participants completed a pretest, an immediate post-test and delayed post-test assessing receptive form knowledge (recognition), receptive form-meaning relation knowledge (recall) and productive form-meaning relation knowledge (recall). Results showed no significant mnemonic advantage for alliterative phrases over non-alliterative phrases in any test. Nor did alliterative phrases receive significantly longer total reading times. These findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the conditions under which phonological salience facilitates L2 phrase learning, suggesting that the mnemonic advantage of alliterative phrases is not automatically triggered by visual exposure alone but may depend on learning conditions that support phonological processing.