Cross-situational Learning of Foreign Vocabulary Reveals a Possible Noun Bias in Adulthood

Abstract

While the debate continues into its third decade over why toddlers across languages tend to acquire nouns quicker than verbs, surprisingly few studies have re-directed this same question at adult. Does such a word class learning bias exist among adult second language learners? In the present study, 48 participants were taught foreign (Hebrew) vocabulary as short phrases in either cross-situational or single-situational learning contexts to test for a noun bias and whether it would be reduced through exposure to multiple contexts. Separate, non-interacting effects were found for word class (nouns better) and the number of contexts used (two better than one). How these results support the referential clarity hypothesis and other theories is discussed.