The developmental relationship between language and immediate memory processes

语言与即时记忆过程之间的发展关系

• 批准号: 371201-2009
• 负责人: Archibald, Lisa
• 金额: $ 1.31万
• 依托单位: University of Western Ontario
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2010
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2010-01-01 至 2011-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=461141
• 关键词: developmental; relationship; between; language; immediate

Most humans learn their native language with apparent ease. Clues about the mechanisms involved in this mini-miracle may come from studying children who struggle to learn to talk despite otherwise typical development. Such children, however, do not form a cohesive group. They have difficulty with varying aspects of language, in diverse circumstances, and at different stages of development. The proposed research program aims to improve our understanding of the complex basis of language learning by examining the interdependency of two cognitive systems, working memory and the developing linguistic system. Working memory is the cognitive workspace, the capacity to store and manipulate information within the current focus of attention. It has been suggested that working memory plays a role in language learning. For example, each time a child repeats a new word while pausing to examine a novel object, working memory is at work. If there are limitations in the speed or capacity of working memory, language learning may be constrained as may learning in nonverbal domains. As children learn language, however, they gain an understanding of linguistic rules, which then provide the structure for further language learning. Children having trouble grasping the linguistic patterns in their native language may have difficulty learning the form and meaning of language. Thus, some of the differences among children with language impairment may be because the problems stem from different core deficits potentially in working memory or linguistic development. If this is the case, these children should perform differently on working memory and linguistic tasks, and they should have distinct language and general learning characteristics. My work explores whether specific deficits in working memory versus linguistic knowledge exist in children, and how these groups may differ in the learning of both language and nonverbal information. The results will provide insight into the fundamental processes involved in language learning. As well, the research will help to improve our understanding of communication disorders in children providing a new approach to their identification and remediation.

大多数人学习他们的母语显然很容易。有关这一迷你奇迹所涉及机制的线索可能来自于对那些尽管在其他方面具有典型发育但仍难以学习说话的儿童的研究。然而，这样的孩子并不能形成一个有凝聚力的群体。他们在不同的环境和不同的发展阶段在语言的不同方面存在困难。拟议的研究计划旨在通过检查工作记忆和发展中的语言系统这两个认知系统的相互依赖性来提高我们对语言学习复杂基础的理解。工作记忆是认知工作空间，是在当前注意力焦点内存储和操作信息的能力。有人认为工作记忆在语言学习中发挥着重要作用。例如，每次孩子在停下来检查新物体时重复一个新单词，工作记忆就会发挥作用。如果工作记忆的速度或容量有限，语言学习可能会受到限制，非语言领域的学习也可能受到限制。然而，当孩子学习语言时，他们会了解语言规则，从而为进一步的语言学习提供结构。难以掌握母语语言模式的儿童可能难以学习语言的形式和含义。因此，有语言障碍的儿童之间的一些差异可能是因为这些问题源于工作记忆或语言发​​展方面潜在的不同核心缺陷。如果是这样的话，这些孩子在工作记忆和语言任务上应该表现不同，并且他们应该具有独特的语言和一般学习特征。我的工作探讨了儿童是否存在工作记忆与语言知识方面的特定缺陷，以及这些群体在语言和非语言信息学习方面的差异。研究结果将提供对语言学习所涉及的基本过程的深入了解。此外，这项研究将有助于提高我们对儿童沟通障碍的理解，为识别和治疗儿童沟通障碍提供新方法。