22 / 10 / 2010

Spoken word processing

Auditory Word Priming

Second Language Attention

Language Experience

1. Research questions2. Research methods3. Research findings4. Relevance5. Critical notes6. Questions and Answers

To investigate whether the experience of L2 learners affect their sensitivity to phonological information spoken under 2 circumstances :◦ a) when their attention is directed to the meaning of

the spoken words.◦ b) when their attention is NOT directed to the

meaning of the spoken words.

L2 learners with moremore experience L2 learners with lessless experience Attention is directeddirected to the meaning of

words Attention is notnot directeddirected to the meaning

of words.

65 native Chinese speakers (23 female , 42 male)

They were divided into 2 groups :The length of

residence (LOR) in Canada is 1.3 years

(0.44 – 2.2 years)

The length of residence (LOR) in

Canada is 3.5 years

(2.3 – 6.4 years)

Control Group Semantic Group

Learners’ attention was NOT directed to the meaning of words

Learners’ attention was directed to the meaning of words

These 2 groups were further categorized into the below :

1st task Listened to 46 words

Control group Semantic group (meaning –based test)

Track the presentation order by circling the number (1-46)

that corresponded to each word serial position

Rate the words pleasantness on a 7-point scale

(1=meaning is unpleasant,

7= meaning is pleasant)

2nd task (Repeating 1st task) with an unfamiliar voice

Listened to 72 words

Abroad Attitude Demand Foreign Laughter

People Sister

Advice Average Dirty Forgive Magic Properly StomachAfraid Avoid Discover Governme

ntManager

Provide Story

Again Become Effort Happy Many Random Suddenly

Agreement

Belong Even Healthy Matter Ready Summary

Almost Building Expensive

Hungry Mistake Remain Supper

Alone Ceiling Factory Husband Officer Remember

Today

Already City Failure Improve Often Review Together

Answer Corner Finger Income Pattern Seldom Unique

Area Country Follow Judgment

pencil Severe Water

Welcome

Welcome

In a familiar voice (repeated word forms & voices), the participants with longer LOR showed better result in both conditions (control & semantic)

In an unfamiliar voice (repeated word forms only), the participants with both short and long LOR showed no difference when they were directed to the meaning of

words (semantic)

Initial stages of L2 learning◦ Encode, store, access spoken L2 episodically (not

reliable / short term memory) Later stages of L2 learning (more experience)

◦ Sensitive to abstract information ◦ Create abstract phonological representation for

spoken words ◦ Encode, store, access spoken words as lexicon

◦ When L2 learners are engaged in a meaningful, semantic and phonological processing, LOR doesn’t play a significant part.

◦ Why?

Adults learners tend to process the meaning or words first, and add acoustic-phonetic labels to the words.

Inclined to reply on their already predominant strategy of processing L2 input.

The Psychology of Language Trevor A, Harley

The role of sound in accessing meaning : Phonological mediation

page 216 - 217

1. A comprehensive study. ◦ For example : the process to choose

participants

2. These findings must be replicated in the future before any strong conclusion regarding negative effects of meaningful semantic processing can be drawn.