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Language Development

Language Development

Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...

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Elaborative rehearsal is a crucial cognitive strategy that strengthens information encoding in long-term memory by making meaningful connections between new data and pre-existing knowledge. This approach contrasts with maintenance rehearsal, which involves simple repetition without delving into the significance of the information. While maintenance rehearsal might temporarily keep information active in short-term memory, it is less effective for long-term retention.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 1, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning

Published on: January 29, 2020

ERPs recorded during early second language exposure predict syntactic learning.

Laura Batterink¹, Helen J Neville

¹Northwestern University.

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience

|March 27, 2014

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Adults learning a second language (L2) benefit from selective attention to content words. This focus enhances syntactic learning and morphosyntactic rule acquisition during early L2 exposure.

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Last Updated: May 1, 2026

Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effect of Induced Emotion on Grammar Learning

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Published on: September 27, 2024

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Linguistics

Background:

Second language acquisition (SLA) research often examines learning outcomes, not the learning process itself.
Understanding the neural basis of SLA is crucial for effective language pedagogy.
Previous studies primarily used end-state measures, overlooking real-time neural mechanisms during initial learning.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the neural mechanisms underlying second language (L2) learning in real-time.
To explore the role of selective attention in early L2 syntactic acquisition.
To differentiate neural processes related to comprehension versus syntactic learning.

Main Methods:

Recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) from beginning adult L2 learners during initial exposure to an unfamiliar L2.
Assessed L2 proficiency using a grammaticality judgment task.
Analyzed ERP data (N100 and N400 effects) in relation to behavioral performance.

Main Results:

High-proficiency learners exhibited a larger N100 effect for open-class (content) words versus closed-class (function) words.
Low-proficiency learners did not show a significant N100 difference between word classes.
N400 amplitude correlated with L2 comprehension, not syntactic learning.

Conclusions:

Selective attention to open-class content words during initial L2 processing is linked to better syntactic learning.
Learners who focus on content words acquire basic morphosyntactic rules more effectively.
Attention mechanisms play a vital role in the neural processes of L2 acquisition.