SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Kiwako Ito ◽  
Wynne Wong
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Tracking Task ◽  
Tracking Data ◽  
Processing Instruction ◽  
Less Is More ◽  
Selection Accuracy ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Causative Structure

Abstract Effects of phonetically variable input (PVI) for processing instruction (PI) training and the number of training items were tested with a picture-selection eye-tracking task. Intermediate second language (L2) learners of French (n = 174) were tested before and after they received either a short (24 items), medium (48), or long (96) training on the causative structure with either single- or multivoice input. PI improved picture-selection accuracy from about 10% to above 50% regardless of the training size. Eye-tracking data showed a reduction in looks to the incorrect picture only after the short and medium training: it surfaced regardless of voice variability after the short training, whereas multivoice training led to a greater reduction after the medium training. Long training did not yield a reliable reduction of incorrect looks regardless of voice variability. Taken together, PVI does not hinder L2 syntactic learning. Learners may benefit more from a relatively shorter training with PVI.

PROCESSING INSTRUCTION AND THE EFFECTS OF INPUT MODALITY AND VOICE FAMILIARITY ON THE ACQUISITION OF THE FRENCH CAUSATIVE CONSTRUCTION

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 443-468
Author(s):  
Kiwako Ito ◽  
Wynne Wong
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Female Voice ◽  
Tracking Data ◽  
Male Voice ◽  
Processing Instruction ◽  
Input Modality ◽  
Selection Accuracy ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Causative Construction ◽  
Training Modalities

AbstractTwo eye-tracking experiments tested (a) whether L2 learners benefit from the consistency of input modality (auditory instead of written processing instruction [PI] training) and (b) whether they benefit from training using the same voice as the test voice. Results confirmed a robust effect of PI training on picture-selection accuracy, yet the improvement did not differ between training modalities. Eye-tracking data revealed resilient looks to the incorrect (first noun = agent) picture even after training, demonstrating the challenge in tuning to the grammatical forms while processing auditory L2 input. The effect of voice familiarity was larger for the male voice, which had longer duration for the later cue (à Marie/Pierre) than the female voice. Auditory PI training can be as effective as written PI training, but it does not immediately enhance learners’ sensitivity to grammatical cues. However, learners may benefit from hearing a salient grammatical cue toward the end of the sentence.

Cue coalitions and additivity in predictive processing: The interaction between case and prosody in L2 German

2020 ◽  
pp. 026765832096315
Author(s):  
Nick Henry ◽  
Carrie N Jackson ◽  
Holger Hopp
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Semantic Information ◽  
Predictive Processing ◽  
Use Case ◽  
Thematic Roles ◽  
Prosodic Cues ◽  
Linguistic Cues ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Verbal Arguments

This article explores how multiple linguistic cues interact in predictive processing among second language (L2) learners. In a visual-world eye-tracking experiment, we investigated whether learners of German use case and prosody cues together to assign thematic roles and predict post-verbal arguments. During the experiment, participants listened to subject-first and object-first sentences that contained (1) case cues only, or (2) both case and prosody. The results showed that the learners successfully predicted post-verbal arguments on the basis of lexical-semantic information but were less successful in using case cues. However, prediction success increased when both case and prosody were present, suggesting that predictive processing is supported by prosodic cues. Additionally, results show that higher proficiency was associated with faster processing and a greater ability to generate predictions. We conclude that the presence of cue coalitions allows L2 learners to process information more efficiently, and that the L2 processor can exploit the additive use of cues for prediction.

scholarly journals Interactions Between Lower- and Higher-Level Processing when Reading in a Second Language: An Eye-Tracking Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annina Hessel ◽  
Sascha Schroeder
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Experimental Evidence ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Expository Texts ◽  
Online Interactions ◽  
Inconsistent Information ◽  
Difficult Condition ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Processing Difficulty

This experiment investigated interactions between lower- and higher-level processing when reading in a second language (L2). We conducted an eye-tracking experiment with the within-subject manipulation inconsistency (to tap higher-level coherence-building) crossed with a within-subject manipulation of word processing difficulty (to alter the ease of lower-level processing), both manipulated on the text level. Sixty-three L2 learners read 48 short expository texts containing inconsistencies created through mismatches between pre-targets such as soya and targets such as corn, or consistent controls. Word processing difficulty was manipulated by inserting either shorter and higher-frequency words such as often, or longer and lower-frequency words such as increasingly. We found evidence of interactions between lower-level word processing difficulty and higher-level coherence-building, as revealed by reduced inconsistency go-past durations and rereading in the difficult condition. This effect did not, however, extend to targeted regressions into inconsistent information. Our findings provide first experimental evidence for online interactions between lower-level word processing and higher-level coherence-building.

scholarly journals “When being specific is not enough”: Discrepancies between L2 learners’ perception of definiteness and its linguistic definition

2021 ◽  
pp. 123-148
Author(s):  
Sugene Kim
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Second Language ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Noun Phrases ◽  
Semantic Context ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Korean College Students ◽  
English Articles

This paper explores the sources of difficulties that second language (L2) learners encounter when using English articles. Eighty-four Korean college students completed a forced-choice elicitation task before and after receiving instruction on article use and provided written accounts of article choices. The analysis of the task performance and written accounts indicated the participants’ noticeable tendency to prioritize specificity over definiteness, resulting in the overuse of the with specific indefinites. Not infrequently, the participants estimated a “nonspecificity hierarchy” for nonspecific definites, often leading to the infelicitous use of a(n). The overuse of the with modified noun phrases suggests that L2 learners attempt to construe semantic context (i.e., ±definite) on the basis of the syntactic structure. Furthermore, the participants’ correct use of a(n) for singular count indefinites sometimes stemmed from assuming the number of a target noun to be single rather than considering its multiple existence and, thus, its indefinite nature. These findings underline the necessity of teaching the specificity feature to indicate to learners that (1) English articles are prototypical realizations of encoding definiteness, which requires the mutual identifiability of a unique referent, and (2) specificity, which presupposes identifiability assumed by the writer/speaker alone, is not marked by articles in English.

Slowly but surely: Interpreting facilitates L2 morphological anticipation based on suprasegmental and segmental information

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 752-762
Author(s):  
Cristina Lozano-Argüelles ◽  
Nuria Sagarra ◽  
Joseph V. Casillas
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
English Learners ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Spoken Word ◽  
Tracking Data ◽  
Linguistic Variables ◽  
Word Prediction ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Syllabic Structure

AbstractNative speakers use suprasegmental information to predict words, but less is known about segmental information. Moreover, anticipatory studies with non-native speakers are scarce and mix proficiency with anticipatory experience. To address these limitations, we investigated whether Spanish monolinguals and advanced English learners of Spanish use suprasegmentals (stress: oxytone, paroxytone) and segmentals (syllabic structure: CVC, CV) to predict word suffixes, and whether increased anticipatory experience acquired via interpreting will facilitate anticipation in non-interpreting L2 situations. Eye-tracking data revealed that: (1) the three groups made use of the linguistic variables, and L2 groups did not anticipate in CV paroxytones; (2) everybody anticipated better with the less frequent conditions (oxytones, CVC) having fewer lexical competitors; (3) monolinguals anticipated earlier than L2 learners; and (4) interpreters anticipated at a faster rate in some conditions. These findings indicate that less frequent suprasegmental and segmental information and anticipatory experience facilitate native and non-native spoken word prediction.

scholarly journals How does longitudinal interaction promote second language speech learning? Roles of learner experience and proficiency levels

2019 ◽  
pp. 026765831988498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuya Saito ◽  
Shungo Suzuki ◽  
Tomoko Oyama ◽  
Yuka Akiyama
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Developmental Stages ◽  
Oral Proficiency ◽  
Proficiency Levels ◽  
Japanese Learners Of English ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Speech Learning

This study examined how longitudinal interaction impacts the development of second language (L2) oral proficiency in relation to learners’ different experience and proficiency levels. Japanese learners of English as a foreign language (EFL) participated in weekly conversation exchanges with native speakers (NSs) in the USA via videoconferencing tools over one academic semester (12 weeks). The participants’ spontaneous speech, elicited from a story telling task before and after the treatment, was analysed via a set of linguistic measures. In line with the componential view of L2 oral proficiency and development, our results hinted L2 learners’ experience and proficiency levels as a mediating factor for determining the link between interaction and its impact on different dimensions of L2 speech learning. While the longitudinal interaction equally improved the participants’ grammatical complexity and articulation rate – a fundamental component for defining L2 oral proficiency – the development of less experienced/proficient learners was observed across a wide range of lexicogrammar and fluency features (lexical appropriateness/richness, grammatical accuracy, pause ratio). It was only more experienced/proficient learners that significantly enhanced phonological accuracies (segmentals, word stress) which are thought to gradually develop in the later stages of L2 speech learning. These findings add another piece of evidence for the differential effects of long-term interaction relative to L2 learners’ developmental stages.

scholarly journals The use of eye-tracking in experimental approaches in second language acquisition research: the primary effects of Processing Instruction in the acquisition of the French imperfect

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 189-210
Author(s):  
Cécile Laval ◽  
Harriet Lowe
Keyword(s):  
Second Language Acquisition ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Processing Instruction ◽  
Design Considerations ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Increase In Accuracy ◽  
Types Of Instruction

ABSTRACTDespite the ample database of research findings on the benefits of Processing Instruction (PI), research thus has primarily made use of offline measures to establish how L2 learners comprehend and process sentences. Using online methodology, such as eye-tracking, allows research to more directly measure implicit knowledge. The sensitivity of these measures requires meticulous design choices to ensure validity and replicability. This study provides an overview of the linguistic and physical design considerations necessary for creating eye-tracking materials in SLA research. The present study demonstrates the application of these design considerations in an eye-tracking study, comparing the changes in processing patterns between two types of instruction: PI and Traditional Instruction (TI) on low intermediate L2 adult learners’ acquisition of the French imperfect aspect. The results of the experimental study show beneficial gains made by L2 learners who received PI on the French imperfect tense, this was seen in both a significant increase in accuracy scores from pre-test to post-test and change in their cognitive processing as shown by eye-movement data. The present study emphasizes the need for future studies to consider methodological reflections and key design principles in eye-tracking research.

The effectiveness of real-time ultrasound visual feedback on tongue movements in L2 pronunciation training

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanja Kocjančič Antolík ◽  
Claire Pillot-Loiseau ◽  
Takeki Kamiyama
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Visual Feedback ◽  
The Other ◽  
Acoustic Data ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Tongue Movements ◽  
L2 Pronunciation

Abstract The purpose of this study was to test the usability of ultrasound as a visual feedback tool in L2 pronunciation training. Six Japanese-speaking learners, aged 28–33 years, participating in a course in French phonetics for L2 learners, took part in the study. Four of them received three individual 45-minute lessons of ultrasound pronunciation training. The other two participants did not. Articulatory and acoustic data of French isolated /y/ and /u/ and Japanese [ɯ] were recorded before and after the ultrasound training, as well as two months later for the learners receiving the training. The analysis of the articulatory data revealed that three speakers with ultrasound feedback improved in the production of the French vowels, the contrast between them, as well as the contrast between the two French vowels and the Japanese [ɯ], suggesting that ultrasound may be a useful tool in second language pronunciation learning.

scholarly journals Specific Referential Contexts Shape Efficiency in Second Language Processing: Three Eye-Tracking Experiments With 6- and 10-Year-Old Children in Spanish Immersion Schools

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 128-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Casey Lew-Williams
Keyword(s):  
Second Language ◽  
Elementary Schools ◽  
Visual Field ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
First Language ◽  
Grammatical Gender ◽  
Second Language Processing ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Biological Gender

ABSTRACTEfficiency in real-time language processing generally poses a greater challenge to adults learning a second language (L2) than to children learning a first language (L1). A notoriously difficult aspect of language for L2 learners to master is grammatical gender, and previous research has shown that L2 learners do not exploit cues to grammatical gender in ways that resemble L1 speakers. But it is not clear whether this problem is restricted to grammatical gender or whether it reflects a broader difficulty with processing local relations between words. Moreover, we do not know if immersive L2 environments, relative to typical L2 classrooms, confer advantages in learning regularities between words. In three eye-tracking experiments, 6- and 10-year-old children who were enrolled in Spanish immersion elementary schools listened to sentences with articles that conveyed information about the grammatical gender (Experiment 1), biological gender (Experiment 2), and number of referents in the visual field (Experiment 3). L1 children used articles to guide their attention to target referents in all three experiments. L2 children did not take advantage of articles as cues to grammatical gender, but succeeded in doing so for biological gender and number. Interpretations of these findings focus on how learning experiences interact with the nature of specific referential contexts to shape learners’ efficiency in language processing.

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