Predicting individual differences in L2 speakers’ gestures

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 205-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaya Nagpal ◽  
Elena Nicoladis ◽  
Paula Marentette
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Important Predictor ◽  
Story Telling ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
English Bilingual ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
The Individual ◽  
L1 And L2

While it is well known that there is a lot of variability in L2, researchers rarely measure the variability in L1 to predict the variability in L2. In this study we tested two explanations of the rate of gestures used in telling a story in L2: (1) a story-telling style underlying both L1 and L2 and (2) proficiency/fluency in L2. Hindi—English bilingual adults performed a story-telling task in their two languages. There was some support for the second predictor: the participants used more gestures in L2 than L1, consistent with gesturing to aid in accessing language. However, the results were strongly supportive of a story-telling style underlying both languages: the individual differences in gesture rate (along with the story length and the vocabulary variability) were highly correlated across languages but not correlated with L2 proficiency/fluency. These results illustrate the importance of studying L1 variability as an important predictor of L2 gesture use.

scholarly journals How Does Modification Affect the Processing of Formulaic Language? Evidence from L1 and L2 Speakers of Chinese

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shang Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Original Form ◽  
Chinese Characters ◽  
Formulaic Language ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Formulaic Sequences ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Chinese Learners ◽  
Reading Experiment ◽  
The Individual ◽  
L1 And L2

<p><b>It has been well documented that formulaic language (FL) – strings of language above the word level in most cases, such as binomials, collocations, n-grams, idioms – enjoys a processing advantage over novel language (e.g., Arnon & Snider, 2010; Carrol & Conklin, 2020; Hallin & Van Lancker Sidtis, 2017; Siyanova-Chanturia, Conklin, & Schmitt, 2011a; Siyanova-Chanturia, Conklin, & van Heuven, 2011b; Tremblay, Derwing, Libben, & Westbury, 2011). The majority of these studies focused on formulaic sequences (FSs) in their original form. In natural language use, however, many FSs are modified with words intervening in-between the individual constituents (e.g., provide information → provide some of the information, see Vilkaitė, 2016a). Whether or not the processing advantage can be extended to modified FSs remains poorly investigated. In this thesis, three reading studies were conducted to address this gap from the perspective of Chinese FL processing, in which the influence of phrase frequency, modification degree, age, and L2 proficiency, were explored and discussed in detail. </b></p> <p>Study 1 recorded the eye movements of L1 Chinese adults when reading sentences embedded with frequent collocations and infrequent controls. The results suggested a significant processing advantage for collocations over relative controls. Critically, the processing advantage for collocations in their original form extended to their short- (with two Chinese characters inserted in the middle of the phrase) and long-insertion forms (with four Chinese characters inserted in the middle of the phrase). The processing advantage was largely observed in the whole phrase in the late processing stage.</p> <p>Study 2 and Study 3 borrowed the materials from Study 1 and applied them in a self-paced reading experiment with L2 Chinese learners from Japan and Thailand of different language proficiencies, and L1 Chinese children at Grades Three and Six, respectively. The results of Study 2 revealed a significant processing advantage for collocations over respective controls in L2 learners. More crucially, the processing advantage for L2 collocations persisted in their short- and long-insertion forms. L2 proficiency and L1 background were also found to play a role in L2 FS processing.</p> <p>The results of Study 3 suggested a significant processing advantage for collocations over respective controls in L1 children. More importantly, the processing advantage for collocations remained in their short- and long-insertion forms in sixth graders; and remained in their short-insertion form in third graders. Furthermore, age was found to play a role in FS processing in children.</p> <p>Contributions to the current literature and methodologies are discussed at the end of the thesis.</p>

Adolescents’ Implicit Theories of Physical Phenomena: A Matter of Gravity

1997 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 493-507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Pulos
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Implicit Theories ◽  
Intellectual Ability ◽  
Implicit Theory ◽  
9Th Grade ◽  
Local Gravity ◽  
Theory Of Gravity ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Physical Phenomena

Individual differences in conceptions of physical phenomena are frequently seen in normal adolescents. The individual differences may be based on isolated conceptual entities or deeper implicit theories. This study investigated whether there is an implicit theory of gravity underlying adolescents’ performance on a local gravity task, Piaget’s Water Level Task, and their understanding of planetary gravity. These two tasks and three measures of intellectual ability were administered to 80 adolescents between the 6th and 9th grade. The two gravity concepts were highly correlated ( r = .51, P .001) and the correlation could not be explained by a common relation with intellectual abilities. Furthermore, the pattern of correlation with abilities did not differ significantly for the two tasks. The results are consistent with a notion of a general implicit theory of gravity that may underlie quite divergent tasks.

scholarly journals Everyday prevalence of foreigner-directed speech

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Rothermich ◽  
Rose Baker ◽  
Sharon Falkins ◽  
Jaeyoung Kum ◽  
Madison Capps ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Questionnaire Study ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Communication Accommodation ◽  
Communication Accommodation Theory ◽  
Specific Language ◽  
Rapport Building ◽  
Building Behavior ◽  
Accommodation Theory ◽  
L1 And L2

L1 speakers often accommodate L2 speakers in a phenomenon known as “foreigner-directed speech” (FDS; Hatch, 1978). FDS is frequently employed as a strategy by L1 speakers to adapt their speech when talking to learners of a specific language; it is generally described as a rapport-building behavior that helps L2 speakers understand the conversation better. In a recent questionnaire study, 85% of L1 speakers reported adjusting their English when speaking to L2 speakers (Margić, 2017). Critically, L2 speakers’ reports on its consequences or effectiveness were not included. Through Qualtrics Panels, we surveyed 192 L1 speakers of English (Mage= 53 years old; 97 female/94 male/1 no response) and 201 L2 speakers of English (Mage= 37 years old; 100 female/98 male/3 non-binary) using a newly developed questionnaire to determine how speech accommodation is perceived. Contrary to previous findings, over half of our L1 participants reported that they do not change their speech when talking to L2 speakers (61%). Half reported they do not like doing it (52%), and 30% are frustrated when it is expected of them. Consistent with our L1 findings, only a third of L2 participants reported L1 speakers change their speech when talking to them (36%), 47% do not like it, and 64% are frustrated when L1 speakers do not accommodate them. Additionally, 57% report they avoid talking to L1 speakers out of fear of being judged, and 40% say that they have been talked down to by L1 speakers. Individual differences appear to modulate how L1 and L2 speakers use FDS and perceive it: For both groups, we found a relationship between the FDS questionnaire and measures of anxiety, personality, L2 proficiency, as well as the frequency of interactions between L1 and L2 speakers. Results are interpreted in light of Communication Accommodation Theory (Giles &amp; Ogay, 2007).

The Reliability of Individual Differences in VOT Imitation

2020 ◽  
pp. 002383092094776
Author(s):  
Lacey Wade ◽  
Wei Lai ◽  
Meredith Tamminga
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Future Study ◽  
Group Norms ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Growing Body ◽  
Male Model ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
The Individual ◽  
And Shifts ◽  
Degree Of Convergence

Recent work has shown that individuals vary in phonetic behaviors in ways that deviate from group norms and are not attributable to sociolinguistically relevant dimensions such as gender or social class. However, it is unknown whether these individual differences observed in the lab are stable characteristics of individuals or whether they simply reflect noise or sporadic fluctuations. This study investigates the individual-level stability in imitation of a model talker’s artificially-lengthened VOT. We use a test–retest design in which the same set of participants perform the same lexical shadowing task on two separate occasions and find that degree of convergence or divergence is highly correlated on an individual basis across visits. Further, we find a strong correlation between individual VOT shifts toward a male model talker and shifts toward a female model talker. Findings contribute to a growing body of literature suggesting that averaging over groups of participants masks the complexity of phonetic behaviors, such as imitation, and suggest that individual differences in phonetic behavior are an area of promising future study.

scholarly journals How Does Modification Affect the Processing of Formulaic Language? Evidence from L1 and L2 Speakers of Chinese

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shang Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Original Form ◽  
Chinese Characters ◽  
Formulaic Language ◽  
L2 Proficiency ◽  
Formulaic Sequences ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Chinese Learners ◽  
Reading Experiment ◽  
The Individual ◽  
L1 And L2

<p><b>It has been well documented that formulaic language (FL) – strings of language above the word level in most cases, such as binomials, collocations, n-grams, idioms – enjoys a processing advantage over novel language (e.g., Arnon & Snider, 2010; Carrol & Conklin, 2020; Hallin & Van Lancker Sidtis, 2017; Siyanova-Chanturia, Conklin, & Schmitt, 2011a; Siyanova-Chanturia, Conklin, & van Heuven, 2011b; Tremblay, Derwing, Libben, & Westbury, 2011). The majority of these studies focused on formulaic sequences (FSs) in their original form. In natural language use, however, many FSs are modified with words intervening in-between the individual constituents (e.g., provide information → provide some of the information, see Vilkaitė, 2016a). Whether or not the processing advantage can be extended to modified FSs remains poorly investigated. In this thesis, three reading studies were conducted to address this gap from the perspective of Chinese FL processing, in which the influence of phrase frequency, modification degree, age, and L2 proficiency, were explored and discussed in detail. </b></p> <p>Study 1 recorded the eye movements of L1 Chinese adults when reading sentences embedded with frequent collocations and infrequent controls. The results suggested a significant processing advantage for collocations over relative controls. Critically, the processing advantage for collocations in their original form extended to their short- (with two Chinese characters inserted in the middle of the phrase) and long-insertion forms (with four Chinese characters inserted in the middle of the phrase). The processing advantage was largely observed in the whole phrase in the late processing stage.</p> <p>Study 2 and Study 3 borrowed the materials from Study 1 and applied them in a self-paced reading experiment with L2 Chinese learners from Japan and Thailand of different language proficiencies, and L1 Chinese children at Grades Three and Six, respectively. The results of Study 2 revealed a significant processing advantage for collocations over respective controls in L2 learners. More crucially, the processing advantage for L2 collocations persisted in their short- and long-insertion forms. L2 proficiency and L1 background were also found to play a role in L2 FS processing.</p> <p>The results of Study 3 suggested a significant processing advantage for collocations over respective controls in L1 children. More importantly, the processing advantage for collocations remained in their short- and long-insertion forms in sixth graders; and remained in their short-insertion form in third graders. Furthermore, age was found to play a role in FS processing in children.</p> <p>Contributions to the current literature and methodologies are discussed at the end of the thesis.</p>

Measuring Word Learning Ability in Sequential Bilingual Children

2010 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pui Fong Kan
Keyword(s):  
Word Learning ◽  
Learning Ability ◽  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Word Knowledge ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Learning Skills ◽  
Word Forms ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Novel Word Learning ◽  
L1 And L2

Abstract The purpose of this article is to look at the word learning skills in sequential bilingual children—children who learn two languages (L1 and L2) at different times in their childhood. Learning a new word is a process of learning a word form and relating this form to a concept. For bilingual children, each concept might need to map onto two word forms (in L1 and in L2). In case studies, I present 3 typically developing Hmong-English bilingual preschoolers' word learning skills in Hmong (L1) and in English (L2) during an 8-week period (4 weeks for each language). The results showed gains in novel-word knowledge in L1 and in L2 when the amount of input is equal for both languages. The individual differences in novel word learning are discussed.

Individual Uniqueness in the Neonatal Functional Connectome

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiushi Wang ◽  
Yuehua Xu ◽  
Tengda Zhao ◽  
Zhilei Xu ◽  
Yong He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Individual Identification ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Functional Connectome ◽  
Middle Range ◽  
Human Connectome Project ◽  
The Individual ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Identification Analysis ◽  
The Brain

Abstract The functional connectome is highly distinctive in adults and adolescents, underlying individual differences in cognition and behavior. However, it remains unknown whether the individual uniqueness of the functional connectome is present in neonates, who are far from mature. Here, we utilized the multiband resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 40 healthy neonates from the Developing Human Connectome Project and a split-half analysis approach to characterize the uniqueness of the functional connectome in the neonatal brain. Through functional connectome-based individual identification analysis, we found that all the neonates were correctly identified, with the most discriminative regions predominantly confined to the higher-order cortices (e.g., prefrontal and parietal regions). The connectivities with the highest contributions to individual uniqueness were primarily located between different functional systems, and the short- (0–30 mm) and middle-range (30–60 mm) connectivities were more distinctive than the long-range (&gt;60 mm) connectivities. Interestingly, we found that functional data with a scanning length longer than 3.5 min were able to capture the individual uniqueness in the functional connectome. Our results highlight that individual uniqueness is present in the functional connectome of neonates and provide insights into the brain mechanisms underlying individual differences in cognition and behavior later in life.

Vowel development in young Mandarin-English bilingual children

Phonetica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Yang
Keyword(s):  
Bilingual Children ◽  
Vowel Duration ◽  
Formant Frequency ◽  
High Group ◽  
English Bilingual ◽  
English Vowels ◽  
Vowel Systems ◽  
Phonetic Features ◽  
Cross Language ◽  
L1 And L2

Abstract This study examined the development of vowel categories in young Mandarin -English bilingual children. The participants included 35 children aged between 3 and 4 years old (15 Mandarin-English bilinguals, six English monolinguals, and 14 Mandarin monolinguals). The bilingual children were divided into two groups: one group had a shorter duration (<1 year) of intensive immersion in English (Bi-low group) and one group had a longer duration (>1 year) of intensive immersion in English (Bi-high group). The participants were recorded producing one list of Mandarin words containing the vowels /a, i, u, y, ɤ/ and/or one list of English words containing the vowels /i, ɪ, e, ɛ, æ, u, ʊ, o, ɑ, ʌ/. Formant frequency values were extracted at five equidistant time locations (the 20–35–50–65–80% point) over the course of vowel duration. Cross-language and within-language comparisons were conducted on the midpoint formant values and formant trajectories. The results showed that children in the Bi-low group produced their English vowels into clusters and showed positional deviations from the monolingual targets. However, they maintained the phonetic features of their native vowel sounds well and mainly used an assimilatory process to organize the vowel systems. Children in the Bi-high group separated their English vowels well. They used both assimilatory and dissimilatory processes to construct and refine the two vowel systems. These bilingual children approximated monolingual English children to a better extent than the children in the Bi-low group. However, when compared to the monolingual peers, they demonstrated observable deviations in both L1 and L2.

Predictors of Positive Psychological Capital: An Attempt Among the Teacher Communities in Rural Jharkhand, India

2021 ◽  
pp. 0258042X2199101
Author(s):  
Mukti Clarence ◽  
Viju P. D. ◽  
Lalatendu Kesari Jena ◽  
Tony Sam George
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Meaningful Work ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Positive Psychological Capital ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

In the recent times, researchers have shown an increased interest in positive psychological capital (PsyCap). However, it is acknowledged that due to the limited number of studies conducted on the antecedents of psychological capital, there is a lack of sufficient data for conclusively proving the antecedents of PsyCap. Consequently, this article aims to explore the potential antecedents of PsyCap as a reliable source of data in the context of rural school teachers. The focus is to investigate both the individual differences and the contextual factors as desirable variables that constitute PsyCap among the school teachers of rural Jharkhand, India. Samples of 1,120 respondents from different rural schools were collected and analysed with Structural Equation Modeling (AMOS 20.0). The findings of the study explained that both the individual differences ( proactive personality and emotional intelligence) and the contextual factors ( perceived organizational support, servant leadership and meaningful work) have a positive relationship with PsyCap. The impact of PsyCap on teacher performance can form the basis for further research on the subject. JEL Codes: M12, M53

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