Collaborative Research: Working memory as mediating the role of music in learning of a second language

合作研究：工作记忆作为音乐在第二语言学习中的中介作用

• 批准号: 2020813
• 负责人: Lloyd Slevc
• 金额: $ 4.28万
• 依托单位: University of Maryland, College Park
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-09-01 至 2025-02-28
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2020813&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Working; memory; mediating

This project focuses on research that will provide a more complete understanding of the way that musical training, musical ability, and aspects of working memory relate to adult second language (L2) learning. The project is part of a broader research program that investigates adult L2 learning and processing, to achieve a better understanding of the language processing system. This longer-range goal is important for several reasons. The world is becoming increasingly multicultural and multilingual. In the US, the number of people who speak a language other than English at home is on the rise, and there is a pressing need to provide clinical services in non-English languages. To meet this challenge, language instruction programs must be optimized for adult L2 learners, which will be accomplished best by having a thorough understanding of the process of adult L2 learning. Although the approach taken here is to examine individual differences, our preliminary findings suggest that musical training programs may transfer to L2 learning though this would need to be tested directly. This research team is committed to the inclusion of individuals from under-represented groups in research, and the project will provide opportunity for high school, undergraduate, and PhD students from underrepresented groups to participate in science. The findings and products of this research will be freely shared and widely disseminated to researchers and language instructors. This project will test whether musical training or ability are associated with increased working memory updating abilities, and whether this mechanism mediates improved L2 learning. It extends past research which has mainly been limited to the phonological domain, to examine a mediating role of working memory for relationships between musical training/ability and L2 learning. Questions being addressed include: To what extent does the musical advantage in adults’ ability to learn an L2 depend on training vs. ability? And, do musical training and ability interact? To what extent are these relationships mediated by or independent of working memory updating abilities? Does the nature of these relationships differ for phonological, lexical, and morpho-syntactic aspects of L2 learning? To explore these questions, the team will exploit areas of language learning that are difficult and known to tax learners’ abilities - namely those that differ the most from the native language. Experimental approaches include use of event-related brain potentials because they are often more sensitive measures of adult L2 learning than behavioral measures alone.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

这个项目的重点是提供一个更完整的了解音乐训练、音乐能力和工作记忆方面与成人第二语言(L2)学习相关的方式的研究。该项目是一个更广泛的研究项目的一部分，该项目调查成人的二语学习和处理，以实现对语言处理系统的更好理解。这一较长期的目标之所以重要，有几个原因。世界正变得越来越多元文化和多种语言。在美国，在家中说英语以外的语言的人数正在上升，因此迫切需要用非英语语言提供临床服务。为了迎接这一挑战，语言教学计划必须针对成人第二语言学习者进行优化，这将通过对成人第二语言学习过程的透彻了解来实现。虽然这里采取的方法是检查个体差异，但我们的初步发现表明，音乐培训项目可能会转移到第二语言学习，尽管这需要直接测试。这个研究团队致力于将代表性不足群体的个人纳入研究，该项目将为代表性不足群体的高中生、本科生和博士生提供参与科学的机会。这项研究的结果和产品将免费分享并广泛传播给研究人员和语言教师。这个项目将测试音乐训练或能力是否与增强的工作记忆更新能力相关，以及这种机制是否调节了改善的二语学习。它扩展了过去主要局限于语音领域的研究，以考察工作记忆在音乐训练/能力和第二语言学习之间的关系中的中介作用。正在解决的问题包括：成年人学习第二语言的能力中的音乐优势在多大程度上取决于训练和能力？那么，音乐训练和能力有没有互动呢？这些关系在多大程度上受或独立于工作记忆更新能力？这些关系的性质在第二语言学习的语音、词汇和形态句法方面是否有所不同？为了探索这些问题，研究小组将探索语言学习的困难领域，即那些与母语差异最大的领域，这些领域对学习者的能力来说是困难的。实验方法包括使用事件相关脑电位，因为它们通常是成人L2学习的更敏感的衡量标准，而不是单独的行为衡量标准。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。