Adaptive functions of neurobehavioral plasticity in language learning and processing

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-53
Author(s):  
Michèle Kail
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Main Property ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Small Delay ◽  
Linguistic Patterns ◽  
Focal Brain Injury ◽  
Large Scope ◽  
Cost Variability

Abstract This article presents a large scope of issues on early and late language plasticity that increase our understanding of the neurobehavioral dynamics of change, the main property of the learning brain. In their pioneering work, Bates and Kuhl have convincingly demonstrated that plasticity is intrinsic to development. Bates has provided new data on the impressive recovery of language in children with focal brain injury, highlighting that both hemispheres support the early phases of this change, contrary to previous assumptions. The fundamental reorganization of the early phonemic system around the age of 8 months proposed by Kuhl, combining neural commitment and social abilities, has powerful cascading effects for subsequent word learning. Our developmental crosslinguistic research on online sentence processing in monolinguals and simultaneous bilinguals has revealed distinctive linguistic patterns of “cue cost”, a multifactorial concept relevant for capturing the microplasticity of the processing system. Whatever the language, the shift around the age of 9 towards the canonical adult pattern indicates an efficient adaptive processing occurring with a small delay in bilinguals. Most salient, from childhood, bilinguals exhibit specific cue cost patterns with interactions. In older French adults, cue cost variability is mediated by processing speed which preserves online syntactic abilities but reveals plasticity limits in Alzheimer’s patients.

Words Go Together Like ‘Bread and Butter’: The Rapid, Automatic Acquisition of Lexical Patterns

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Conklin ◽  
Gareth Carrol
Keyword(s):  
Short Stories ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Native English Speakers ◽  
English Speakers ◽  
Formulaic Language ◽  
Spoken Discourse ◽  
Linguistic Patterns ◽  
Reversed Order

Abstract While it is possible to express the same meaning in different ways (‘bread and butter’ versus ‘butter and bread’), we tend to say things in the same way. As much as half of spoken discourse is made up of formulaic language or linguistic patterns. Despite its prevalence, little is known about how the processing system treats novel patterns and how rapidly a sensitivity to them arises in natural contexts. To address this, we monitored native English speakers’ eye movements when reading short stories containing existing (conventional) patterns (‘time and money’), seen once, and novel patterns (‘wires and pipes’), seen one to five times. Subsequently, readers saw both existing and novel phrases in the reversed order (‘money and time’; ‘pipes and wires’). In four to five exposures, much like existing lexical patterns, novel ones demonstrate a processing advantage. Sensitivity to lexical patterns—including the co-occurrence of lexical items and the order in which they occur—arises rapidly and automatically during natural reading. This has implications for language learning and is in line with usage-based models of language processing.

Learning to parse and its implications for language acquisition

2007 ◽  
pp. 634-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Trueswell ◽  
Lila R. Gleitman
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Syntactic Ambiguity ◽  
Adult Listener ◽  
Processing Abilities ◽  
Time Reading ◽  
Theory Of Language

This article describes what is known about the adult end-state, namely, that the adult listener recovers the syntactic structure of an utterance in real-time via interactive probabilistic parsing procedures. It examines evidence indicating that similar mechanisms are at work quite early during language learning, such that infants and toddlers attempt to parse the speech stream probabilistically. In the case of learning, though, the parsing is in aid of discovering relevant lower-level linguistic formatives such as syllables and words. Experimental observations about child sentence-processing abilities are still quite sparse, owing in large part to the difficulty in applying adult experimental procedures to child participants; reaction time, reading, and linguistic judgement methods have all have been attempted with children. The article discusses real-time sentence processing in adults, experimental exploration of child sentence processing, eye movements during listening and the kindergarten-path effect, verb biases in syntactic ambiguity resolution, prosody and lexical biases in child parsing, parsing development in a head-final language, and the place of comprehension in a theory of language acquisition.

Metathesis

Linguistics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth Hume ◽  
Scott Seyfarth
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Speech Errors ◽  
Conditioning Factors ◽  
Plural Form ◽  
Singular Form ◽  
Theoretical Status ◽  
Linguistic Patterns ◽  
The Status ◽  
History Of ◽  
Opposite Order

Metathesis is a term used in linguistics to describe a language pattern where a sequence of two sounds occurs in one order in one context and in the opposite order in a related context. For example, a word might have two sounds in one order in its singular form but the opposite order in its plural form; or the relative ordering of two sounds within a word form might change over the history of a language; or a speaker might swap two sounds when speaking quickly. The literature on metathesis dates back at least a century and covers topics concerning its origin, typology, Conditioning Factors, and theoretical status, among others. This bibliography provides a broad overview of the research carried out on the topic. It should be noted, however, that the literature on metathesis is not as expansive as, for example, that of processes such as assimilation or deletion. One reason for this is because metathesis does not occur as pervasively across languages and, as a result, it has been given less attention than other more common processes. This has resulted in the status of metathesis as a regular process being questioned, as discussed in the articles listed under Regularity of Metathesis. While links between metathesis and speech errors have sometimes been assumed (Metathesis and Speech Errors), most work on metathesis focuses on more regular phonological or morphological patterns (Morphological Metathesis), and among these, on metathesis involving a consonant and vowel or two consonants (though see Uncommon Metathesis Patterns). There are several informative works on cross-linguistic patterns of metathesis (see Typological Studies) as well as in-depth studies of metathesis in particular languages (see Language Case Studies). The literature is generally divided as to whether metathesis is analyzed as a synchronic process (see Theoretical Phonology Approaches), or as sound change (see Historical Approaches). In addition to theoretical and descriptive studies, metathesis has been examined to a lesser extent from psycholinguistic and computational perspectives (see Psycholinguistic Approaches, Computational Approaches) and also in terms of first and second language learning (see Language Acquisition). Most articles contain information on the factors conditioning metathesis (see Phonetic and Phonological, Sociolinguistic, and Statistical) which has provided insight into its nature, and has revealed that most of the factors conditioning metathesis are the same as those involved in more common processes (see Conditioning Factors). The authors wish to thank Kylie Fitzgerald for her assistance with this project.

Two Distinct Sequence Learning Mechanisms for Syntax Acquisition and Word Learning

2013 ◽  
pp. 350-369
Author(s):  
Anne McClure Walk ◽  
Christopher M. Conway
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Processing ◽  
Word Learning ◽  
Sequence Learning ◽  
Learning Mechanisms ◽  
Sequential Processing ◽  
Linguistic Patterns ◽  
Syntax Acquisition ◽  
Distinct Sequence ◽  
Hearing Children

The ability to acquire spoken language depends in part on a sensitivity to the sequential regularities contained within linguistic input. In this chapter, the authors propose that language learning operates via two distinct sequence-learning processes: probabilistic sequence learning, which supports the acquisition of syntax and other structured linguistic patterns, and repetition sequence learning, which supports word learning. First, the authors review work from their lab and others illustrating that performance on tasks that require participants to learn non-linguistic sequential patterns is empirically associated with different measures of language processing. Second, they present recent work from their lab specifically highlighting the role played by probabilistic sequence learning for acquiring syntax in a sample of deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Finally, the authors demonstrate that the learning of repeating sequences is related to vocabulary development in these children. These findings suggest that there may be at least two relatively distinct domain-general sequential processing skills, with each supporting a different aspect of language acquisition.

Transfer of sentence processing strategies: A comparison of L2 learners of Chinese and English

2001 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
I-RU SU
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Developmental Change ◽  
Target Language ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Processing Level ◽  
Processing Strategies ◽  
L2 Learners ◽  
Chinese And English

A sentence interpretation experiment based on Bates and MacWhinney's Competition Model was administered to L2 learners of English and Chinese at three different stages of learning. The main purposes of the research were (a) to examine how transfer patterns at the sentence processing level change as a function of proficiency and (b) to investigate whether or how transfer patterns found in Chinese EFL learners (i.e., native speakers of a semantics-based language learning a syntax-centered target language) differ from those found in English CFL learners (i.e., native speakers of a syntax-based language acquiring a semantics-centered one). The results show that transfer patterns do vary as a function of proficiency, and that Chinese EFL learners and English CFL learners display somewhat different patterns of developmental change in sentence processing transfer.

scholarly journals Linguistic Analysis of Selected TV Cartoons and Its Impact on Language Learning

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 247
Author(s):  
Muhammad Arfan Lodhi ◽  
Syeda Ibrar ◽  
Mahwish Shamim ◽  
Sumera Naz
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Linguistic Analysis ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Linguistic Features ◽  
Linguistic Patterns ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Language Competencies ◽  
The Impact

The new generation is fascinated by the overwhelming exposition of media. Today, media is performing powerful role in the mental growth and emotional development of children. At the very first stage of cognitive development, children copy the words and expressions used in their surroundings. Cartoons and language used in them directly affect cognitive and linguistic development of children. The present study dissects the linguistic patterns and ideologies used in cartoons shown in Pakistani media. It further attempts to overlook the impact of linguistic features of cartoons on language learning propensities of children. The study adopted mixed method research design by following qual-quan approach. The linguistic analysis of the cartoons was done qualitatively whereas its impact on children’s language was measured through quantitative way. 100 students and 100 teachers were selected to determine the sample by applying random sampling technique. Self-developed questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The collected data shows that cartoons are source of education, entertainment and information for children. Children can improve their language competencies by watching cartoon. However, students were found using many Hindi words in their daily conversation. Linguistic benefits of cartoon language collide with the cultural threats faced by a large number of parents. The findings of the study recommend that children should be shown level oriented and culturally specific cartoons so that students may get maximum linguistic benefits from them.

scholarly journals Assessing Intervention Effects in Sentence Processing: Object Relatives vs. Subject Control

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Delgado ◽  
Ana Raposo ◽  
Ana Lúcia Santos
Keyword(s):  
Sentence Processing ◽  
Relative Clauses ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Current Debate ◽  
Intervention Effects ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Reading Task ◽  
Object Control ◽  
Relative Complexity ◽  
Object Relative

Object relative clauses are harder to process than subject relative clauses. Under Grillo’s (2009) Generalized Minimality framework, complexity effects of object relatives are construed as intervention effects, which result from an interaction between locality constraints on movement (Relativized Minimality) and the sentence processing system. Specifically, intervention of the subject DP in the movement dependency is expected to generate a minimality violation whenever processing limitations render the moved object underspecified, resulting in compromised comprehension. In the present study, assuming Generalized Minimality, we compared the processing of object relatives with the processing of subject control in ditransitives, which, like object relatives, instantiates a syntactic dependency across an intervening DP. This comparison is justified by the current debate on whether Control should be analyzed as movement: if control involves movement of the controller DP, as proposed by Hornstein (1999), a parallel between the processing of object relatives and subject control in ditransitives may be anticipated on the basis of intervention. In addition, we explored whether general cognitive factors contribute to complexity effects ascribed to movement across a DP. Sixty-nine adult speakers of European Portuguese read sentences and answered comprehension probes in a self-paced reading task with moving-window display, comprising four experimental conditions: Subject Relatives; Object Relatives; Subject Control; Object Control. Furthermore, participants performed four supplementary tasks, serving as measures of resistance to interference, lexical knowledge, working memory capacity and lexical access ability. The results from the reading task showed that whereas object relatives were harder to process than subject relatives, subject control was not harder to process than object control, arguing against recent movement accounts of control. Furthermore, we found that whereas object relative complexity effects assessed by response times to comprehension probes interacted with Reading Span, object relative complexity effects assessed by comprehension accuracy and reading times did not interact with any of the supplementary tasks. We discuss these results in light of Generalized Minimality and the hypothesis of modularity in syntactic processing (Caplan and Waters, 1999).

scholarly journals Discourse Analysis Studies: The Contributions in Language Teaching

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desi yanti.s
Keyword(s):  
Discourse Analysis ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Language Teaching ◽  
Social Attitudes ◽  
Online Information ◽  
Functional Characteristics ◽  
Linguistic Patterns ◽  
Methodological Tool

This paper was created with the aim to focus the attention of the contributions of discourse analysis to language learning. Most researchers today are concerned with discourse analysis as an alternative way to distinguish the process of language cognition. In this discussion will arise how the functional characteristics of sentimental element that acts as a signal for the listener in different contexts to facilitate the integration of online information and discourse analysis is as a methodological tool used to adjust the functional inquiry of the speaker, as well as the process of development as we are discriminated by identifying responsible social attitudes and ideologies in observed linguistic patterns. Most teachers have a tendency to teach languages separately with their use. So that the resulting context is discussed is poorly understood and the time to practice the lesson has been less tangible, and in life situations, students fail to use language and find it difficult to recognize the function speech guided by the speaker.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document