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Auditory Processing of Non-speech Stimuli by Children in Dual-Language Immersion Programs
Chloe Jones1,2, Elizabeth Collin1,3, Olga Kepinska1,4,5,6,7,8
1Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States.
Frontiers in Psychology
|November 4, 2021
Summary
Children in dual-language immersion programs show enhanced auditory processing for frequency modulation (FM), but not rise time (RT). This suggests language immersion may impact early auditory skills crucial for language development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Auditory Neuroscience
- Second Language Acquisition
Background:
- Low-level auditory cue perception, including frequency modulation (FM) and rise time (RT), is vital for language development.
- Children learning a second language may enhance auditory sensitivity to process multiple linguistic inputs.
- The impact of second language learning on auditory processing in children remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effect of dual-language immersion on children's perception of frequency modulation (FM) and rise time (RT).
- To compare auditory processing skills in children immersed in Cantonese or Spanish versus those in general English education.
- To examine the relationship between auditory processing and phonological awareness in immersion versus non-immersion settings.
Main Methods:
- Assessed 92 English-speaking 7-8-year-olds in dual-language immersion (Cantonese/Spanish) and general English programs.
- Administered perceptual tasks measuring sensitivity to frequency modulation (FM) and rise time (RT).
- Evaluated phonological awareness and analyzed associations between auditory sensitivity and phonological skills.
Main Results:
- Children in dual-language immersion programs demonstrated significantly greater sensitivity to frequency modulation (FM) compared to controls.
- No significant differences in rise time (RT) perception were found between immersion and control groups.
- Immersion students exhibited superior phonological awareness, but individual FM sensitivity did not correlate with phonological awareness, unlike in monolinguals.
Conclusions:
- Formal language immersion may positively influence low-level auditory processing, specifically frequency modulation sensitivity.
- The findings suggest a potential dissociation between FM processing and phonological awareness in bilingual children.
- Further research is needed to establish causality and the long-term effects of immersion on auditory and language skills in multilinguals.
Keywords:
bilingualdynamicfrequency modulationlanguage developmentmultilingualphonological awarenessrise timetemporalMore Related Videos
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