Word Segmentation Across Two Languages Via Statistical Learning

统计学习指的是跟踪周围环境中感觉输入的规律模式的能力。鉴于语言的规律性和层级结构，语言本质上是一个基于模式的系统，因此研究人员认为统计学习是语言习得的基础。事实上，幼儿和成年人可以通过跟踪音节共现概率并在此基础上提取单词来找到人工语言中的单词。然而，以前的研究主要集中在学习者是否能从一种语言中统计地切分单词；学习者是否能从两种人工语言中切分单词在很大程度上还不清楚。鉴于双语在全球的流行，有必要进行双输入分割。一些研究表明，学习者在强烈的说话人特定的语境线索(即每种语言与不同的人配对)的支持下，成功地分割了两种重叠的人工语言。然而，从本质上讲，一个双语个体必须在两种不同的语言之间切换，有时甚至在一次对话中(即语码转换)。因此，探索单个人言语中的语音语境线索是否有助于成人对两种人工语言的分割是很重要的。因此，我们将对成人和婴儿学习者进行测试，以回答三个问题：(I)学习者能否利用个人语音中的语音线索成功地从两种人工语言中切分单词？2)双语者的表现是否优于单语者？以及3)在跨两种语言的分词中，是否有特定的因素，如认知能力或双语经验，构成潜在的双语优势？在我们的第一组研究中，我们考察了成年学习者是否一般能够利用法语和英语的语音线索从两种重叠的人工语言中切分单词。试点数据表明，基于某些音素和同步双语优势的局限性。因此，我们建议测试同时使用多种语言，使用更显著的音素差异，并使用一系列实验的非母语语音线索，以充分探索成年人在新环境中处理信息的灵活性，以及他们对标记语言输入变化的细微线索的敏感性。此外，我们将探索成年人的认知能力是否与学习者的分段表现有关。在第二组研究中，我们将测试9个月、11个月和13个月大的婴儿在相同的法语口音和英语口音的人工语言刺激下，进行适合婴儿的双输入分段任务。这种发展方式将检验是否在婴儿期就出现了双语优势。此外，我们将再次使用执行功能任务来测试认知技能，以探索分割和认知能力之间的任何关系。

Statistical learning refers to the ability to track regular patterns in sensory input from ambient environments. Given its regularities and hierarchical structures, language is essentially a pattern-based system and therefore researchers have argued that statistical learning is fundamental to language acquisition. Indeed, young infants and adults can find words in artificial languages by tracking syllable co-occurrence probabilities and extracting words on that basis. However, prior studies have mainly focused on whether learners can statistically segment words from a single language; whether learners can segment words from two artificial languages remains largely unknown. Given the global prevalence of bilingualism, it is necessary to dual-input segmentation. Some studies have demonstrated that learners succeed in segmenting two overlapping artificial languages when supported by strong speaker-specific contextual cues (i.e., each language paired with a different person). However, by nature, a single bilingual individual has to alternate between two distinct languages, sometimes even in one conversation (i.e., code-switching). It is therefore important to explore whether phonetic contextual cues in a single individual's speech can facilitate adult segmentation of two artificial languages. Therefore, we will examine adult and infant learners to answer three questions: (i) Can learners make use of phonetic cues within a single individual's speech to segment words successfully from two artificial languages?; 2) Do bilinguals outperform monolinguals?; and 3) Do specific factors, such as cognitive ability or bilingual experience, underlie any potential bilingual advantage in word segmentation across two languages? In our first group of studies, we examine if adult learners generally could make use of French and English phonetic cues to segment words from two overlapping artificial languages. Pilot data indicated limitations based on certain phonemes and a simultaneous bilingual advantage. We therefore propose to test simultaneous multilinguals, use more salient phoneme differences, and use non-native phonetic cues across a series of experiments to fully explore adults' flexibility in processing information in new environments and their sensitivity to subtle cues that mark the changes of language inputs. Further, we will explore if adults' cognitive abilities are related to learners' segmentation performance. In the second set of studies, we will test infants of 9, 11, and 13 months on the same French-accented versus English-accented artificial language stimuli in a dual input segmentation task adapted for infants. This developmental approach will test if any bilingual advantages emerge in infancy. Further, we will again test cognitive skills using a executive functioning task to explore any relationship between segmentation and cognitive ability.