Spoken Word Segmentation in First and Second Language: When ERP and Behavioral Measures Diverge

Area of Science:

• Psycholinguistics
• Neuroscience
• Second Language Acquisition

Background:

• Previous research on second language (L2) word segmentation produced inconsistent findings due to participant variability and diverse methodologies.
• Understanding how bilinguals segment words in their L2 is crucial for language processing research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether bilingual listeners can employ native-like word segmentation strategies in their L2.
• To examine the influence of L1 (native language) and language dominance on L2 word segmentation.
• To explore the relationship between online (brain activity) and offline (behavioral) measures of L2 segmentation.

Main Methods:

• Sixty-one French-English bilingual adults participated in an audiovisual integration task.
• Event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded while participants listened to ambiguous sentences.
• Participants performed an illustration-utterance matching task to assess comprehension and segmentation.

Main Results:

• Online ERP data indicated that bilinguals could adapt their segmentation strategies to L2 specifics.
• Offline behavioral data revealed that the degree of adaptation varied with listeners' language experience.
• Distinct patterns emerged between online ERPs and offline behavioral outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Bilingual listeners demonstrate an ability to adjust word segmentation strategies for their L2 during online processing.
• The extent of L2 adaptation is modulated by individual language experience and dominance.
• Both neurophysiological (ERPs) and behavioral measures are necessary to fully understand L2 word segmentation.