Cognitive inhibition mediates the relationship between ESL listening proficiency and English spoken word segmentation in Chinese learners: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) study

Abstract

The ability to segment spoken words is vitally important for language learners since it is crucial for their language development and well predicts their future language skills. The possible influence of cognitive inhibition on this ability was proposed in theory. However, there is no direct evidence supporting the role and underlying mechanism of cognitive inhibition in spoken word segmentation (SWS) in both behavioral and neuroimaging research. The present study addressed this issue by exploring the relationships among English as second language (ESL) listening proficiency, cognitive inhibition ability, and SWS performance. Cortical activation in the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) were recorded during the process of SWS by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The results showed that English listening proficiency was positively associated with cognitive inhibition ability, which in turn was positively correlated with SWS performance. Moreover, we found both English listening proficiency and SWS performance were in negative associations with cortical activation in the TPJ, while cognitive inhibition ability was positively correlated with neural activities in the PFC. Critically, further mediation analysis revealed that cognitive inhibition ability mediated not only the relationship between English listening proficiency and SWS performance but also the association between English listening proficiency and cortical activation in the TPJ (recorded during SWS). Our preliminary findings suggest that English listening proficiency may affect SWS performance and task-related cortical activation through its impact on cognitive inhibition ability.