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Kerrie E Elston-Güttler1, Thomas C Gunter
1Max Planck Institut for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. guettler@cbs.mpg.de
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|May 21, 2008
Summary
Language context significantly impacts second language (L2) processing. Pre-experiment immersion and auditory input in the first language (L1) can hinder L2 adjustment, affecting interlingual homograph comprehension.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Second Language Acquisition
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Interlingual homographs present unique challenges in second language (L2) processing due to shared form but different meanings across languages.
- Understanding how first language (L1) phonology and semantics interact with L2 processing is crucial for effective language learning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of L1 phonological and semantic context on the processing of German-English interlingual homographs.
- To determine how pre-experiment language exposure and concurrent auditory input affect L2 learners' cognitive processing.
Main Methods:
- Three experiments were conducted with German (L1) learners of English (L2) using German-English homographs.
- Behavioral (reaction times) and electrophysiological (event-related potentials, N400) measures were recorded.
- Language context was manipulated through pre-experiment films and auditory stimuli (noise, pseudowords, real words) during a visual task.
Main Results:
- No L1 influence was observed when learners viewed an English film and heard noise during the experiment.
- L1 influence, indicated by N400 priming, occurred when German pseudowords were heard or when a German film preceded the task.
- Lower-proficiency learners showed sustained L1 influence when exposed to real L1 words during the experiment.
Conclusions:
- Pre-experiment L1 immersion or concurrent L1 phonology can impede L2 task adjustment.
- The type and timing of language context exposure critically modulate L1-L2 interference.
- Proficiency level interacts with contextual factors to influence L1 transfer in L2 processing.
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