Non-native Language Proficiency Research Articles

Standardizing norms for 1286 colored pictures in Cantonese.

This study established psycholinguistic norms in Cantonese for a set of 1286 colored pictures sourced from several picture databases, including 750 colored line drawings from MultiPic (Duñabeitia et al., 2018) and 536 photographs selected for McRae et al. (2005) concepts. The pictures underwent rigorous normalization processes. We provided picture characteristics including name and concept agreement, familiarity, visual complexity, and frequency of modal responses. Through correlational analyses, we observed strong interrelationships among these variables. We also compared the current Cantonese norming to other languages and demonstrated similarity and variations among different languages. Additionally, we embraced the multilingual diversity within the current sample, and found that higher Cantonese proficiency but lower non-native language proficiency were associated with better spoken picture naming. Last but not least, we validated the predictive power of normed variables calculated from typed responses to spoken picture naming, and the consistency between typed and spoken responses. The present norming provides a timely and valuable alternative for researchers in the field of psycholinguistics, especially those studying Cantonese production and lexical retrieval. All raw data, analysis scripts, and final norming results are available online as psycholinguistic norms for Cantonese in the following link at the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/dz9j6/?view_only=a452d8a56c92430b9dedf21ac26b1bc1 .

Multilingual Language Diversity Protects Native Language Production under Different Control Demands.

The use of multiple languages has been found to influence individuals' cognitive abilities. Although some studies have also investigated the effect of multilingualism on non-native language proficiency, fewer studies have focused on how multilingual experience affects native language production. This study investigated the effect of multilingualism on native language production, specifically examining control demands through a semantic Go/No-Go picture naming task. The multilingual experience was quantified using language entropy, which measures the uncertainty and diversity of language use. Control demands were achieved by manipulating the proportion of Go (i.e., naming) trials in different conditions. Results showed that as control demands increased, multilingual individuals exhibited poorer behavioral performance and greater brain activation throughout the brain. Moreover, more diverse language use was associated with higher accuracy in naming and more interconnected brain networks with greater involvement of domain-general neural resources and less domain-specific neural resources. Notably, the varied and balanced use of multiple languages enabled multilingual individuals to respond more efficiently to increased task demands during native language production.

THE IMPORTANCE OF STUDENT’S SOCIOCULTURAL COMPETENCE DURING THEIR FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDIES

The article analyzes the social component of the updated speech portrait of a university specialist. The sociocultural dominant of intercultural speech interaction is determined by the position of the individual in the social system, the situation of communication, his profession, region of origin, and age. In this regard, the subjects of communication are faced with various features of communication: this is communicative behavior, the cultural space of communication, the linguistic personality of a foreign language with an individually formed picture of the world. English language instruction at the Language Pedagogical Institute is governed by educational standards that call for a move to higher level of foreign language skill as measured by the mainstream European scale of non-native language proficiency. When learning a foreign language, particular focus should be placed on the practical aspects of mastering the language while taking into account contemporary linguistic trends, motivating factors, and the psychology-pedagogical aspects of oral speaking. Learning a foreign language becomes a creative process that opens up the culture and mindset of the nation where it is being learned. If a sociocultural aspect of learning foreign language content is fully realized, this will encourage students' interest in the subject and lead to more fully realized language mastery. The sociocultural field of research concerned with instructing the interpretation of foreign language speech is taken into consideration at the junction of competency-based and intercultural approaches. Emphasis is placed on the value of learning how to identify and evaluate the significance of social elements' influences on a speaker's speech behavior.

Converging Evidence for Differential Specialization and Plasticity of Language Systems.

Functional specialization and plasticity are fundamental organizing principles of the brain. Since the mid-1800s, certain cognitive functions have been known to be lateralized, but the provenance and flexibility of hemispheric specialization remain open questions. Language is a uniquely human phenomenon that requires a delicate balance between neural specialization and plasticity, and language learning offers the perfect window to study these principles in the human brain. In the current study, we conducted two separate functional MRI experiments with language learners (male and female), one cross-sectional and one longitudinal, involving distinct populations and languages, and examined hemispheric lateralization and learning-dependent plasticity of the following three language systems: reading, speech comprehension, and verbal production. A multipronged analytic approach revealed a highly consistent pattern of results across the two experiments, showing (1) that in both native and non-native languages, while language production was left lateralized, lateralization for language comprehension was highly variable across individuals; and (2) that with increasing non-native language proficiency, reading and speech comprehension displayed substantial changes in hemispheric dominance, with languages tending to lateralize to opposite hemispheres, while production showed negligible change and remained left lateralized. These convergent results shed light on the long-standing debate of neural organization of language by establishing robust principles of lateralization and plasticity of the main language systems. Findings further suggest involvement of the sensorimotor systems in language lateralization and its plasticity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The human brain exhibits a remarkable ability to support a vast variety of languages that may be acquired at different points in the life span. Language is a complex construct involving linguistic as well as visual, auditory, and motor processes. Using functional MRI, we examined hemispheric specialization and learning-dependent plasticity of three language systems—reading, speech comprehension, and verbal production—in cross-sectional and longitudinal experiments in language learners. A multipronged analytic approach revealed converging evidence for striking differences in hemispheric specialization and plasticity among the language systems. The results have major theoretical and practical implications for our understanding of fundamental principles of neural organization of language, language testing and recovery in patients, and language learning in healthy populations.

Verbal Working Memory but Not Attention Is Related to Language Proficiency: Evidence from Multilingual Speakers.

Numerous studies have shown a consistent relationship between verbal working memory (WM) and native-language as well as non-native language learning abilities. However, the role of attentional abilities has been rarely explored, although these abilities have been shown to be associated both with verbal working memory and oral language proficiency. This study investigated the association between WM, attention and language proficiency in young adults raised with three different languages (Luxembourgish, German and French). Auditory-verbal WM abilities were assessed via an immediate serial recall task. Attentional abilities were assessed via auditory-verbal and visuo-spatial attentional tasks. Using a Bayesian correlational approach, we observed robust evidence for an association between auditory-verbal WM abilities and non-native language proficiency. At the same time, we observed no reliable evidence in favor of an association between language proficiency and auditory-verbal/visuo-spatial attentional measures. These results suggest that auditory-verbal WM and non-native language proficiency are strongly linked in young multilingual adults, irrespective of auditory-verbal or visuo-spatial attentional abilities.

Non-native language proficiency may influence the responsiveness of bilingual parents towards young children with autism: A short report.

Although bilingualism is a common worldwide phenomenon, limited research has considered the experiences of children with autism growing up in bilingual environments. Here, we investigated the potential influence of parental bilingualism, and native vs. non-native language use, on responsiveness to children's communication attempts during parent-child interactions where the child had autism. Specifically, we investigated the amount of parent responses to child verbal communication (frequency) and the promptness of these responses (temporal synchrony). Participants were 22 monolingual and 20 bilingual parents and their children with autism aged 2-6 years, recruited from a multicultural, metropolitan city where English is the dominant language. Extending from our previous report on this sample, we identified the frequency and temporal synchrony of parent responses from filmed 10-minute free-play sessions. Monolingual parents were videoed during one free-play session in English. Bilingual parents were videoed during two free-play sessions; one in their native language and one in English. We compared the frequency and temporal synchrony of parental responses across monolingual and bilingual parent groups and, for bilingual parents, across native vs. non-native (English) language interaction samples. Finally, we examined how other measures of bilingual parents' non-native language proficiency were associated with interaction responsiveness measures. When using their native language, bilingual parents demonstrated reduced frequency of responsiveness (even when controlling for opportunities provided by the child) and less temporal synchrony to child communication compared to English-speaking monolingual parents. Bilingual parents were also less frequently responsive (but not less temporally synchronous) during their native- compared to during their non-native (English) language interactions. Moreover, for bilingual parents, more frequent responsiveness to child communication bids when interacting in non-native English was associated with greater assessed English vocabulary knowledge. In this sample, use of non-native English did not appear to adversely affect how often, or how quickly, bilingual parents responded to their children's verbal communication bids. However, nor did we find evidence of a native-language advantage. Rather, during English-language interactions, when these bilingual parents were responsive towards their children, this was on par with rates and timing of responsiveness shown by English-speaking monolinguals. This may partly be explained by bilinguals' non-native language proficiency, and habitual use/personal dominance patterns. These data suggest no definitive drawback of non-native language use for synchronous responsiveness by bilingual parents interacting with young children with autism. However, our data also serve to highlight the complex, multifaceted nature of adult bilingualism, and indicate the need for more research - with large, well-characterised samples - to permit strong conclusions concerning how parental language-use choices may influence children's natural learning environments, including in the context of autism and developmental language impairments.

Health behaviour among bilingual Swedish speaking patients in the Finnish healthcare setting.

Objective:We assessed the prevalence and consequences of discordant language communication between bilingual Swedish speaking emergency patients and general practitioners (GPs) in Finnish healthcare. We compared the results with Finnish speaking emergency patients provided with language concordant healthcare.Materials and Methods:A researcher-designed questionnaire was used to collect data about both Swedish and Finnish speaking emergency patients' health and socioeconomic status, reason for emergency visits and use of healthcare. Furthermore, the Swedish speakers' nonnative language proficiency and preferred communication language were examined. The study was performed in 16 healthcare centers and outpatient departments in bilingual regions in Finland.Results:The Swedish speakers (n = 139) visited healthcare centers less than the Finnish speakers (n = 736) (P = 0.001) and communicated less frequently with the GP in their native language (P < 0.001). The Swedish speakers more often planned to revisit their assigned GP (P < 0.001) after the emergency visit. No differences in health conditions and socioeconomic status between the language groups were observed.Conclusion:Although Swedish and Finnish speaking emergency patients report a similar prevalence of chronic noncommunicable diseases, Swedish speakers make fewer annual visits to a physician. We suggest that discordant language communication might relate to decreased healthcare visits among bilingual Swedish speaking emergency patients.

Pedagogical conditions of development of foreign language communicative competence of students

The article deals with the theory and practice of the development of the foreign language communicative competence of students of non-linguistic areas of training in the implementation of the current Federal state educational standard of higher education (bachelor's and master's levels), implemented in the educational process of educational organizations subordinated to the Ministry of foreign affairs of the Russian Federation, in order to clarify the pedagogical conditions of the development of that competence. The educational and methodical pedagogical conditions presented by the author are aimed at the comprehensive development of foreign language communicative competence (to know, to be able, to own) of students, in accordance with the results of training (competencies) indicated in the analyzed Federal state educational standard of higher education. The question of the relevance of non-native language proficiency of students and graduates of non-language universities and their competitiveness in the modern domestic and foreign labor market is touched upon. This fact actualizes the development of the readiness of students studying in non-linguistic areas of training to use a foreign language for self-education in the course of training at the Institute and in subsequent professional activities.The tasks and content of the developed educational and methodical pedagogical conditions are considered. The question of the importance of the development of the content of education adequate to requirements of the current time on a subject "Foreign language" is brought up. The author specifies the actual methods of teaching that meet the requirements of the Federal state educational standard of higher education and competence approach: communicative, method of cases, method of projects, audio-linguistic, audiovisual, method of "Openwork saw", etc. Moreover, the requirements to the teaching staff working in the declared direction, for example: confident possession of the computer, the Internet, as well as distance learning technologies are given. The importance and structure of the funds of evaluation tools for the discipline aimed at identifying the real level of foreign language proficiency of students is explained. Evaluation funds allow the teacher to properly organize the educational process, and students to understand the requirements of the teacher.

The problems of foreign students’ training of listening skills by means of information and communication technologies

The article focuses on the importance of improving the effectiveness of foreign students’ listening skills formation at the initial stages of learning Russian as a foreign language. The author outlines the stages of work and its tasks, the groups of exercises and test tools, which are topical for listening skills training of the specified contingent of students with the help of information and communication technologies. The ways to overcome the difficulties of using multimedia educational programs as a training complex for teaching listening skills in accordance with specific requirements of this type of teaching aids and the general requirements of teaching materials for listening have been considered. The author states that non-native language proficiency is the most important means of obtaining the professional education for foreign students. The significance of the use of information and communication technologies as the newest means of increasing the efficiency of the educational process as well as its individual subsystems including language training have been determined in the article. Different aspects of teaching listening as a type of speech activity in scientific works of domestic and foreign scientists have been analyzed. The performance of listening skills improvement is possible through the systematic analysis of problems caused by non-compliance with linguodidactic requirements for the compilation of training materials for teaching listening skills to foreign students at initial stage of learning a non-native language. The article deals with specific requirements for educational materials compiled with the help of information and communication technologies, among which are multimedia, interactivity, nonlinearity and others are the most important ones. The article discusses the ways of combining two separate groups of requirements for the combination of this type of teaching aids. The author analyzes the experience of development of multimedia educational programs for teaching listening to the foreign students at the initial stages of learning Russian as a foreign language based on the adapted texts.

Misperception patterns of American English consonants by Japanese listeners in reverberant and noisy environments

Perceiving non-native sounds in adverse listening environments is challenging, even for proficient learners. An identification experiment in quiet, three reverberant (RT = 0.78 s, 1.12 s, 1.43 s) and multispeaker babble + reverberant environments was carried out to investigate the relation of listening environments and non-native language proficiency. This research aims to elucidate (1) Japanese and English listeners’ identification of intervocalic English consonants in quiet and adverse listening environments, and (2) the correlation of identification rates with the Japanese listeners’ TOEIC® scores, age of onset of English acquisition and length of residence in English-speaking countries. Results showed (1) English listeners achieved significantly higher overall identification rates compared to Japanese listeners on the subset of 11 consonants /f ʤ ʒ l ɹ s ʃ θ ð v z/ that are often difficult for Japanese to accurately identify, and (2) positive correlations between identification rates and English proficiency measured by means of TOEIC® scores and LOR. Analysis of misperception patterns revealed that an increased amount of background disturbance led proficient listeners’ misperception patterns to resemble those of the lower proficiency listeners, as in the example of native listeners misperceiving /g/ as /ð/ in RT = 1.12 s and highly proficient Japanese misperceiving /g/ as /ð/, /ɹ/, and /l/, and lower group as /ð/ and /l/. The degradation of identification accuracy as background disturbance increased shed light on how one's L1 and L2 proficiency influence speech perception.

The influence of non-native language proficiency on speech perception performance.

The present study examined to what extent proficiency in a non-native language influences speech perception in noise. We explored how English proficiency affected native (Swedish) and non-native (English) speech perception in four speech reception threshold (SRT) conditions, including two energetic (stationary, fluctuating noise) and two informational (two-talker babble Swedish, two-talker babble English) maskers. Twenty-three normal-hearing native Swedish listeners participated, age between 28 and 64 years. The participants also performed standardized tests in English proficiency, non-verbal reasoning and working memory capacity. Our approach with focus on proficiency and the assessment of external as well as internal, listener-related factors allowed us to examine which variables explained intra- and interindividual differences in native and non-native speech perception performance. The main result was that in the non-native target, the level of English proficiency is a decisive factor for speech intelligibility in noise. High English proficiency improved performance in all four conditions when the target language was English. The informational maskers were interfering more with perception than energetic maskers, specifically in the non-native target. The study also confirmed that the SRT’s were better when target language was native compared to non-native.

Executive functions and inhibitory control in multilingual children: Evidence from second-language learners, bilinguals, and trilinguals

In two experiments, we examined inhibitory control processes in three groups of bilinguals and trilinguals that differed in nonnative language proficiency and language learning background. German 5- to 8-year-old second-language learners of English, German–English bilinguals, German–English–Language X trilinguals, and 6- to 8-year-old German monolinguals performed the Simon task and the Attentional Networks Task (ANT). Language proficiencies and socioeconomic status were controlled. We found that the Simon effect advantage, reported in earlier research for bilingual children and adults over monolinguals, differed across groups, with bilinguals and trilinguals showing enhanced conflict resolution over monolinguals and marginally so over second-language learners. In the ANT, bilinguals and trilinguals displayed enhanced conflict resolution over second-language learners. This extends earlier research to child second-language learners and trilinguals, who were in the process of becoming proficient in an additional language, while corroborating earlier findings demonstrating enhanced executive control in bilinguals assumed to be caused by continuous inhibitory control processes necessary in competition resolution between two (or possibly more) languages. The results are interpreted against the backdrop of the developing language systems of the children, both for early second-language learners and for early bilinguals and trilinguals.

Cross-language activation in children’s speech production: Evidence from second language learners, bilinguals, and trilinguals

In five experiments, we examined cross-language activation during speech production in various groups of bilinguals and trilinguals who differed in nonnative language proficiency, language learning background, and age. In Experiments 1, 2, 3, and 5, German 5- to 8-year-old second language learners of English, German–English bilinguals, German–English–Language X trilinguals, and adult German–English bilinguals, respectively, named pictures in German and in English; in Experiment 4, 6- to 8-year-old German monolinguals named pictures in German. In both language conditions, cognate status was manipulated. We found that the bidirectional cognate facilitation effect was significant in all groups except the German monolinguals (Experiment 4) and, critically, the child second language learners (Experiment 1) in whom only native language (L1) German had an effect on second language (L2) English. The findings demonstrate how the integration of languages into a child’s system follows a developmental path that, at lower levels of proficiency, allows only limited cross-language activation. The results are interpreted against the backdrop of the developing language systems of the children both for early second language learners and for early bi- and trilinguals.

Pictures speak louder than numbers: on communicating medical risks to immigrants with limited non‐native language proficiency

Medical risk communication has been infrequently studied in immigrants with limited non-native language proficiency, even though they may be at greatest risk of illness. In a study, we examined to what extent Polish immigrants to the UK have difficulties in understanding treatment risk reduction expressed as ratios either in their native language or in a non-native language (English). We further investigated whether this population can be aided by using visual displays to enhance comprehension. A survey was conducted in the UK in spring, 2009, involving a sample of Polish immigrants (n = 96). Estimates of treatment risk reduction, confidence in estimates, and perceptions of treatment effectiveness. When assessing treatment risk reduction, participants often paid too much attention to the number of treated and non-treated patients who died (i.e. numerators) and insufficient attention to the overall number of treated and non-treated patients (i.e. denominators). This denominator neglect was especially noticeable when treatment risk reduction was not expressed in participants' native language. However, provision of visual aids in addition to the numerical information about risk reduction proved to be an effective method for eliminating denominator neglect. The visual aids drew participants' attention to the overall number of treated and non-treated patients and helped them to make more accurate risk estimates. When communicating risks to immigrants with limited non-native language proficiency, we should move beyond the simple, direct translation of health messages that are already being used with the indigenous population to messages that are more appropriate. The use of materials that include visual aids is an effective method of communicating medical risk information to immigrant populations.