Examining the impact of non-linguistic Incidental auditory category training on adult language acquisition

项目总结 稳健的言语交际要求听者学习与语言相关的表征，以保持稳定 语言的规律性，如传达意义的语音(音素)。在越来越多的情况下 在多语言社会，多达20%的美国人通过多种语言做到了这一点。然而， 第二语言习得在成人语言学习者中尤其具有挑战性，对他们来说 通常涉及明确的课堂教学。令人不安的是，研究人员例行公事地记录了这一指导 结果是语言能力停滞不前，甚至萎缩，尽管 指示。有必要建立有效的新方法来推动成人语言学习者摆脱这一点 平台期。该项目整合了听觉范畴学习的理论和方法的发展。 以课堂为基础的二语教学方法。具体来说，附带类别学习(在这种学习中，学习者的 通过吸引人的视频游戏将注意力从待学习的类别转移)点击类别 学习系统有别于那些从事更外显学习的系统。此外，附带学习的 非语音类别导致与语音相关的假定的语音选择皮质的激活 分类，暗示潜在的代表性相声。这指导了 项目：非言语知觉构建块类别的附带学习可能通过 从而影响成人二语学习者的言语习得，使他们走出课堂学习的平台期。 一项为期8周、保留时间间隔为3个月的强化附带训练研究将检验该假设(AIM 1)。附带的非言语训练和显性的二语言语训练的比较将评估这一点 认知“后门”可能比外显更有效地促进二语言语的认知和产出 用二语语音进行培训，并将确定每个人与课堂教学的互动程度 L2(目标2)。将通过下列措施建立附带类别学习的远迁移和保留 从二语分类扩展到语音生成、单词学习和语音表示(目标 3)。结果将揭示非言语、听觉类别是否共享共同的感知维度 有了第二语言类别支架二语习得，显性教学可以支持的程度 或干扰新的听觉类别，训练后是否保留附带学习，以及 学习成果转移到支持其他语言学习任务。在经验、方法论和 实验室研究的理论进步与明确的课堂学习将有可能确定 偶然习得的非语言知觉构建块范畴与认知结构的相互作用 新兴的L2。这将推动关于一般听觉之间的串扰的重要理论辩论 这将为二语教学提供一种新的方法。

PROJECT SUMMARY Robust speech communication requires that listeners learn linguistically-relevant representations for stable language regularities, such as the speech sounds (phonemes) that convey meaning. In an increasingly multilingual society, as many as twenty percent of Americans accomplish this across multiple languages. Yet, second language acquisition is especially challenging among adult language learners, for whom learning typically involves explicit classroom instruction. Troublingly, research documents that instruction routinely results in a `learning plateau' whereby language abilities stagnate or even atrophy despite continued instruction. There is a need to establish effective new approaches to nudge adult language learners off this plateau. This project integrates theoretical and methodological developments in auditory category learning with approaches to classroom-based L2 instruction. Specifically, incidental category learning (in which learners' attention is directed away from to-be-learned categories by an engaging videogame) taps into category learning systems distinct from those engaged in more explicit learning. Moreover, incidental learning of nonspeech sound categories leads to activation of putatively speech-selective cortex associated with speech categorization, suggesting potential representational cross-talk. This guides the central hypothesis of the project: incidental learning of nonspeech perceptual building block categories may provide a `back door' through which to influence adult L2 learners' speech acquisition and to move them off the classroom learning plateau. An intensive 8-week incidental training study with a 3-month retention interval will test the hypothesis (Aim 1). Comparison of incidental nonspeech training with explicit L2 speech training will assess whether this cognitive `back door' may be more effective in promoting L2 speech perception and production than explicit training with L2 speech and will determine the extent to which each interacts with classroom instruction in the L2 (Aim 2). Far transfer and retention of incidental category learning will be established across measures that extend beyond L2 categorization to speech production, word learning, and phonological representation (Aim 3). The results will reveal whether nonspeech, auditory categories sharing common perceptual dimensions with second language categories scaffold L2 acquisition, the degree to which explicit instruction may support or interfere with new auditory categories, whether incidental learning is retained after training, and whether learning gains transfer to support other language-learning tasks. In blending empirical, methodological, and theoretical advances from laboratory studies with explicit classroom learning it will be possible to determine the interplay between incidentally-acquired nonlinguistic perceptual building block categories and an emerging L2. This will advance important theoretical debates about the cross-talk between general auditory representations and speech categories and will provide a novel approach to L2 pedagogy.