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Through the Pupils' Lens: Multilingual Effort in First and Second Language Listening
Dana Bsharat-Maalouf1, Jens Schmidtke2, Tamar Degani1
1Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
Ear and Hearing
|December 11, 2024
Summary
Multilinguals exert more listening effort in their second language (L2) than their first (L1), especially in noisy conditions. This increased effort in L2 speech processing is evident even in quiet and impacts understanding.
Area of Science:
- Psycholinguistics
- Speech and Hearing Science
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Multilinguals navigate complex auditory environments, balancing comprehension with cognitive load.
- Understanding listening effort is crucial for assessing effective communication in diverse linguistic settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate listening effort in multilinguals across first (L1) and second (L2) languages.
- To compare effort in quiet versus noisy conditions.
- To examine the influence of contextual constraint on listening effort.
Main Methods:
- 46 Arabic (L1)-Hebrew (L2) multilinguals completed a listening task.
- Pupillometry measured listening effort (pupil dilation).
- Perceptual performance was assessed in quiet and noisy (0 dB SNR) conditions.
Main Results:
- Listening was easier in quiet than noise, with higher accuracy in L1 than L2 in noise.
- Pupil dilation indicated greater listening effort for L2 vs. L1, even in quiet.
- Contextual support improved L1 comprehension in noise but increased L2 effort without better understanding.
Conclusions:
- Listening effort is a significant factor in multilingual speech processing.
- Increased L2 listening effort may impact educational and clinical outcomes for multilingual individuals.
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