NCS-FO: Neural mechanisms underlying second language learning

NCS-FO：第二语言学习的神经机制

• 批准号: 2024926
• 负责人: Santiago Jaramillo
• 金额: $ 100万
• 依托单位: University of Oregon Eugene
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-10-01 至 2024-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2024926&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: NCS; FO; Neural; mechanisms; underlying

Second language learning is critically important in our increasingly global society. Success in second language learning varies substantially across individuals, but the reasons for this variability are unclear. An improved understanding of how language learning works, from neurons to behavior, will enable the development of highly efficient learning strategies that take into account differences across individuals. In this project, the investigators focus on one key aspect of acquiring a new language, namely learning to differentiate new sounds; for example, when an English speaker must learn the difference between a trilled 'r' in 'perro' and tapped 'r' in 'pero' in Spanish. Current approaches to investigate second language learning typically use human behavior to infer what factors affect language acquisition. However, neuroscience tools for research in humans lack the necessary precision to directly uncover how changes in the brain underlie these factors. To address this limitation, the research team will combine insights from human behavior with observations of how animals process sound to allow for precise measurement of the brain processes underlying learning to differentiate new sounds.The proposed work will compare learning performance under different learning scenarios in both mice and humans to identify which scenarios are most efficient, and to evaluate to what extent the way mice learn to differentiate sounds is comparable to that of humans. The research team will then use advanced techniques for measuring the activity of individual neurons as mice learn new sounds to investigate the neural changes responsible for effective learning. The project also includes a range of outreach objectives toward integration with education, broadening participation in STEM, and bridging theory and practice of language learning.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.

第二语言学习在我们日益全球化的社会中至关重要。第二语言学习的成功在个体之间存在很大差异，但这种差异的原因尚不清楚。更好地理解语言学习是如何工作的，从神经元到行为，将有助于开发考虑到个体差异的高效学习策略。在这个项目中，研究人员专注于获得一种新语言的一个关键方面，即学习区分新的声音;例如，当一个说英语的人必须学习“perro”中的颤音“r”和西班牙语中“佩罗”中的轻敲“r”之间的区别时。目前研究第二语言学习的方法通常使用人类行为来推断影响语言习得的因素。然而，用于人类研究的神经科学工具缺乏必要的精确度，无法直接揭示大脑的变化是如何构成这些因素的。为了解决这一局限性，研究小组将联合收割机结合人类行为的见解和对动物如何处理声音的观察，以精确测量学习区分新声音的大脑过程。拟议的工作将比较小鼠和人类在不同学习场景下的学习表现，以确定哪些场景最有效，并评估老鼠学习区分声音的方式在多大程度上与人类相当。然后，研究小组将使用先进的技术来测量小鼠学习新声音时单个神经元的活动，以研究负责有效学习的神经变化。该项目还包括一系列外展目标，旨在与教育融合，扩大STEM的参与，以及沟通语言学习的理论和实践。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

The nature of non-native speech sound representations

• DOI: 10.1121/10.0015230
• 发表时间: 2022-11-01
• 期刊: JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA
• 影响因子: 2.4
• 作者: Baese-Berk，Melissa M.;Chandrasekaran，Bharath;Roark，Casey L.
• 通讯作者: Roark，Casey L.