Non-native Language Research Articles

Subject-verb dependency formation and semantic interference in native and non-native language comprehension

AbstractDifferences between native (L1) and non-native (L2) comprehension have been debated. This study explores whether a source of potential L1/L2 differences lies in susceptibility to memory-based interference during dependency formation. Interference effects are known to occur in sentences like The key to the cabinets were rusty, where ungrammaticality results from a number mismatch between the sentence subject and verb. Such sentences are sometimes misperceived as grammatical due to the presence of a number-matching “distractor” (“the cabinets”). Interference has been well-examined in a number agreement. However, whether and how forming thematic relations is susceptible to interference remains underexplored in L1 and L2 language comprehension. In six preregistered experiments, we investigated semantic interference in language comprehension and explored whether potential L1/L2 differences can be attributed to different degrees of susceptibility to interference. The results did not show that L2 speakers are more susceptible to interference than L1 speakers. Also, the observed interference patterns were only partially consistent with existing theories of memory retrieval during comprehension. We discuss how these theories may be reconciled with our findings and argue our results suggest that similar processes are involved in L1 and L2 subject-verb dependency formation.

Methodological Principles of Teaching Russian to Bilingual Children at Elementary School

This article is devoted to the urgent problem of identifying the methodological foundations of teaching Russian to younger schoolchildren for whom Russian is not their native language. The topic proposed for consideration is characterized by a broad scientific and descriptive context of the problem that is of interest to specialists in psychology, pedagogy and linguo-didactics, and a pronounced practical aspect that is associated with the need to develop a consistent methodological approach to teaching Russian in a mixed language group of elementary school students. Russian is the primary and only language of instruction, and the composition of the trainees is characterized by a different status of linguistic personality, including bilingual children with varying degrees of proficiency in Russian as a non-native language and children for whom Russian is their native language. Taking into account the varying degrees of proficiency in the Russian language by bilingual children at the initial moment of schooling, the purpose of the study is precisely to identify and analyze the fundamental provisions that are actualized in modern linguo-didactics on this issue. The materials of the study were modern studies in the field of pedagogy, psychology, linguo-culturology and linguo-didactics, devoted to the organization of the educational space of bilingual children learning Russian in a mixed language group. The leading method in the study is the analytical modeling of the educational environment as a condition for the formation of a student’s linguistic personality. The relevance of the research is due to both the interdisciplinary focus of the problem and the diversity of the selected topic, which requires discussion taking into account various factors of the effectiveness of the organization of training. The following principles of the organization of the educational space of bilingual children in modern primary school are substantiated as the leading ones in the study: (1) linguo-culturological, due to the complex nature of the formation of the linguistic picture of the world and communicative skills of a linguistic personality as a subject of learning; (2) competence-based, arising from objective (socio-cultural factor, normative provisions) and subjective (age, learning conditions in a particular mixed-character language team, personal orientations, the level of development of a linguistic personality and its communicativespeech ability, etc.); (3) communicative-activity, taking into account the psycholinguistic factor of the development of speech ability as the activity sphere of the linguistic personality, determined, among other things, by the space of educational communication.

‘Righting’ the wrong: Text revision in ESL students’ composing processes in senior high schools in Greater Accra, Ghana

Revision is a fundamental strategy in second language learners’ text composition primarily because it guarantees congruence between these learners’ translated texts and their writing intentions as they effortfully compose in a nonnative language. As such, as part of a larger study, the current research explores the revision behaviours of learners in English composition in senior high schools in Greater Accra, Ghana. Twenty-four students were purposively sampled to write a timed argumentative essay under think-aloud conditions. The data were analysed using Conijn et al.'s (2021) tagset of revision as an analytical framework. The findings show unique and general characteristics of the trigger, spatial location, sequence, orientation, evaluation, action and linguistic domains of the students’ revision behaviours. Also, the findings reveal significant weaknesses in the revision behaviours of the participants and offer insights into aspects of their overall composing competence. From the findings, English language teachers in Ghana are encouraged to adopt revision-strategy instruction and also develop the cognitive and metacognitive skills of their students.

The Impact of Social Emotional Learning in TESOL: A Narrative Literature Review

Social emotional learning (SEL) is mainly about appreciating social and emotional factors and learning life skills. SEL can be divided into five categories, including how to deal with oneself, others, and relationships, and work in an effective manner. SEL helps people recognize emotions and learn how to manage them. Taking non-native English language classrooms as examples, this paper discusses how English learners performance changed when they engaged in diverse SEL experiences. Based on literature reading and analysis, this research indicates that the usage of SEL can actively affect teaching efficiency and improve learners academic achievement. SEL can entirely improve English learners interest and motivation in learning and support learners relaxed emotions. It also promotes communication among students, which allows more students to participate in teaching activities and results in better teaching efficiency. Efficient teaching and classes make students accept more professional knowledge and get better results than traditional teaching methods on exams.

Identifying and Treating Functional “Nonnative [Foreign] Accent Syndrome”: Perspectives From the Patient and Speech-Language Pathologist

Purpose: When nonnative speaking patterns emerge following neurologic insult or injury, it has often been referred to as foreign, or nonnative, accent syndrome (FAS). In many other cases, FAS can occur as a manifestation of a functional speech disorder (FSD). The purpose of this clinical focus article is to (a) describe the methods utilized in identifying and managing a functional communication disorder characterized by nonnative speech, language, and nonverbal communication intrusions, accompanied by a functional movement disorder and (b) describe the patient's lived experience. Method and Results: The patient is a 59-year-old monolingual English-speaking gentleman with a remote history of episodic stuttering, who later developed an abrupt onset of a nonnative speaking style that changed in quality over time. He also developed gait difficulties that, after visiting with several neurologists, were judged to reflect a functional neurological disorder. During the speech evaluation session, an “Eastern European accent” was noted, along with nonnative word use and word order. A diagnosis of FSD characterized by foreign accent was made, and intervention was undertaken as detailed in the clinical focus article and demonstrated in the accompanying video. With behavioral intervention, the patient was able to correct sound-level changes in structured tasks such as reading and repetition and then in conversation. Language dialect–like changes resolved without direct intervention. The nonspeech movement disorder was addressed with intensive occupational and physical therapy. Conclusions: The patient presented with functional FAS, which was effectively managed with symptomatic, targeted behavioral intervention. His experience demonstrates the importance of patient advocacy in acquiring an accurate diagnosis and appropriate management recommendations. Supplemental Material: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.24653430

Parafoveal processing in bilingual readers: Semantic access within but not across languages.

Prior research has investigated the quality of information a reader can extract from upcoming parafoveal words. However, very few studies have considered parafoveal processing in bilingual readers, who may differ from monolinguals due to slower lexical access and susceptibility to cross-language activation. This eye-tracking experiment, therefore, investigated how bilingual readers process parafoveal semantic information within and across languages. We used the boundary technique to replace a preview word in a sentence with a different target word during the first rightward saccade from the pretarget region. We manipulated both preview language (nonswitch vs. code-switch) and semantic relatedness (synonym/translation vs. unrelated) between previews and targets. Upon fixation, target words always appeared in the same language as the rest of the sentence to create an essentially monolingual language context. Semantic preview benefits emerged for nonswitched synonym previews but not for code-switched translation previews. Furthermore, participants skipped code-switched previews less often than nonswitched previews and no more often than previews that were unfamiliar to them. These data suggest that bilinguals can extract within-language semantic information from the parafovea in both native and nonnative languages, but that cross-language words are not accessible while reading in a monolingual language mode, as per the partial selectivity hypothesis of bilingual language control. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Maqollar tilida gender va kuch munosabatlari: erkak qiyofasi

It is very interesting to study proverbs and sayings describing the image of a man and a woman in-nonnative Kazakh and English languages. Proverbs and sayings that describe the image of a man which are used in everyday spoken language add value to the theme of the article. In addition, the relevance of the work lies in the examination of cross-comparisons of proverbs and sayings between non-native languages. The article aims at studying proverbs and phrases in English that describe the appearance, character, social characteristics, and position of men in society. Gender is one of the most important parameters of binary opposition and social existence.

The Impact of Non-Native Language Input on Bilingual Children’s Language Skills

The Impact of Non-Native Language Input on Bilingual Children’s Language Skills

¿(Está/Es) Difícil?: Variable Use of Ser and Estar by Heritage Learners of Spanish

The current study examines variation in copula selection in Spanish by looking at the written productions of three groups of language learners in the United States, including heritage learners, those with English as an L1, and international students with English as an L2. Research on copula variation in Spanish has pinpointed several key linguistic and social factors that influence selection; this study aims to apply these findings to heritage learners in order to determine how their acquisition differs from that of non-native language learners. This analysis used the COWS-L2H corpus of Spanish from the University of California, Davis. Examining over 8000 tokens of [adjective + copula] constructions in variable contexts where both ser and estar were used, the study tracks how linguistic and extralinguistic factors condition copula selection within the three learner groups and how these results compare to previous findings. Seven factors were predictive of copula selection: resultant state, frame of reference, adjective class, experience with study abroad, essay prompt, student age, and course level. Heritage learner copula use was found to be governed by a different set of predictors than that of learners, hinting at the variable motivations and backgrounds that influence use and reflect the identity goals of these speakers.

Global Health Education Revamped: Implementation of a Cross-Cultural Virtual Elective Through Continuous Improvement Methods.

Virtual platforms can increase access to global health (GH) education and cross-cultural communication. The Cleveland-Cusco Connection (CCC) is a virtual GH elective between medical schools in the USA and Peru. This elective was held annually from 2020 to 2023, with monthly virtual sessions held in English and Spanish to facilitate bidirectional learning about healthcare systems, culture, and barriers to care in both nations. Using student surveys throughout the electives, we report the outcomes, barriers, and changes of the CCC over 3years. We administered pre- and post-elective surveys to students in the elective in their native languages. We evaluated self-reported non-native language skills, health systems, GH knowledge, and cultural sensitivity. We also surveyed students about course efficacy in achieving learning objectives and areas for improvement. We performed non-parametric statistical analyses to evaluate trends in survey responses. Over three academic years, 92 students participated in CCC. Students from the US had statistically significant increases in their self-reported understanding of the Peruvian healthcare and medical education systems (p = 0.013). US students also saw an increase in cultural sensitivity scores, with statistically significant increases in the knowledge (p = 0.035) and motivation components (p = 0.031). The most frequently reported challenges encountered throughout the course included: competing coursework assignments, scheduling conflicts, and language barriers. Cross-cultural virtual electives demonstrate effectiveness in teaching trainees about international healthcare systems and can improve cultural sensitivity. Strategies to improve the elective include reducing workload, improving engagement for partner countries, and teaching bilingually. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-023-01941-6.

Neural Representations of Non-native Speech Reflect Proficiency and Interference from Native Language Knowledge.

Learning to process speech in a foreign language involves learning new representations for mapping the auditory signal to linguistic structure. Behavioral experiments suggest that even listeners that are highly proficient in a non-native language experience interference from representations of their native language. However, much of the evidence for such interference comes from tasks that may inadvertently increase the salience of native language competitors. Here we tested for neural evidence of proficiency and native language interference in a naturalistic story listening task. We studied electroencephalography responses of 39 native speakers of Dutch (14 male) to an English short story, spoken by a native speaker of either American English or Dutch. We modeled brain responses with multivariate temporal response functions, using acoustic and language models. We found evidence for activation of Dutch language statistics when listening to English, but only when it was spoken with a Dutch accent. This suggests that a naturalistic, monolingual setting decreases the interference from native language representations, whereas an accent in the listener's own native language may increase native language interference, by increasing the salience of the native language and activating native language phonetic and lexical representations. Brain responses suggest that such interference stems from words from the native language competing with the foreign language in a single word recognition system, rather than being activated in a parallel lexicon. We further found that secondary acoustic representations of speech (after 200 ms latency) decreased with increasing proficiency. This may reflect improved acoustic-phonetic models in more proficient listeners.Significance Statement Behavioral experiments suggest that native language knowledge interferes with foreign language listening, but such effects may be sensitive to task manipulations, as tasks that increase metalinguistic awareness may also increase native language interference. This highlights the need for studying non-native speech processing using naturalistic tasks. We measured neural responses unobtrusively while participants listened for comprehension and characterized the influence of proficiency at multiple levels of representation. We found that salience of the native language, as manipulated through speaker accent, affected activation of native language representations: significant evidence for activation of native language (Dutch) categories was only obtained when the speaker had a Dutch accent, whereas no significant interference was found to a speaker with a native (American) accent.

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.

Psycho-linguistic and educational challenges in Teaching Chinese (Mandarin) Language: voices from None-Chinese teachers of Mandarin language

BackgroundChinese/Mandarin language instruction to undergraduate students from non-Chinese speaking countries has become a topic of increasing interest, driven by China’s influential role in global political and economic dynamics. With Mandarin being the language spoken by approximately 70% of Chinese speakers, it is not only taught within China but also in institutions around the world. While teaching any second or foreign language presents unique challenges, the specific challenges faced in Mandarin language education have not received comprehensive scrutiny, prompting the need for further investigation.ObjectivesThe primary objective of this study was to explore the challenges associated with teaching and learning Mandarin from the perspectives of non-native Mandarin language teachers. By adopting a qualitative (phenomenological) research approach, we aimed to uncover the multifaceted challenges that confront both educators and learners in the context of Mandarin language instruction.MethodologyThe research methodology employed for this study involved the use of semi-structured interviews conducted with 15 Mandarin language teachers, who were chosen through theoretical sampling. These interviews were transcribed into text files and subsequently subjected to qualitative data analysis, which was facilitated by the use of MAQDA software. This approach allowed us to identify and categorize the various challenges and problems encountered in the teaching and learning of Mandarin.FindingsThe research findings revealed a range of challenges and problems experienced in Mandarin language education. These challenges were grouped into two primary thematic categories: psycho-linguistic and educational challenges. The linguistic challenges are deeply rooted in the distinctive features of the Mandarin language, presenting obstacles that necessitate innovative teaching strategies and materials. Educational challenges extend beyond native speaker proficiency, emphasizing the requirement for a comprehensive pedagogical skill set among instructors.Implications: The implications of this research extend to various stakeholders in the field of Chinese/Mandarin language education, including policymakers, educators, curriculum designers, and learners. Understanding the linguistic, educational, and psychological challenges can inform the development of more effective teaching methods, curriculum design, and motivation-enhancing strategies, ultimately promoting a more successful and engaging Mandarin language learning experience for non-native speakers.

Impact of personal, psychological, and social factors on English language learning: A non-native student case study

Purpose: This case study aimed to explore the impact of personal, psychological, and social factors on a non-native English language student and to determine whether the students’ errors in speaking and writing were developmental or transferred. Methodology/approach: The case study was conducted on a single participant (an English language student) at Paktia University, Afghanistan. The data were collected using four different types of instruments. The data were analyzed considering the influence of personal, psychological, and social factors on the participants’ language learning. Results/Findings: The participant faced a great number of problems caused by personal, psychological, and social factors, including lack of social motivation, lack of social practice, economic limitations, and grammatical errors in productive skills usually transferred from the native language or caused by lack of practice. However, as an extraverted and motivated learner, he overcame most of the problems during learning. He improved his speaking skills and pronunciation through self-interactions and online communication. Limitations: This was a single-participant case study; therefore, further studies are needed to generalize the findings to Afghan English language students. Contribution: This study can help policymakers, curriculum designers, educational institution authorities, and English language educators to better identify the factors that affect English language learning. Novelty: This is the only study conducted to examine the process of an individual’s English language learning process in Afghanistan.

The effects of increased mental workload of air traffic controllers on time perception: Behavioral and physiological evidence

Research has shown that timing is modulated by mental workload, making duration judgments a measure of cognitive demand, alongside subjective assessments, and physiological measurements. Yet, it is unclear whether such findings can be extended in less controlled setups. By employing air traffic controllers in a real aviation environment, we tested whether tasks with different levels of cognitive load can affect their timing behavior. Participants completed temporal production, verbal estimation, and passage of time judgments, while actively engaging in real flight control sessions. Subjective assessments of task demands, as well as physiological responses (cardiac and electrodermal activity) were also measured. Accuracy of the produced intervals was measured at two distinct phases of the flight (during low-load cruising vs. high-load landing) and under two different task load manipulations (controlling one vs. two helicopters and speaking in native vs. non-native language). Analysis of interval production accuracy showed that during the high-load landing phase significant overproductions were made, compared to the low-load cruising phase, and landing two helicopters led to greater overproductions compared to landing only one. The duration of the two-helicopter sessions was significantly overestimated compared to the single-helicopter ones, and the passage of time was felt significantly faster. Subjective assessments of workload were positively correlated with the temporal estimations and passage of time judgments, and skin responses were positively correlated with the produced intervals. Overall, our results are consistent with past research, suggesting that mental workload modulates time perception in complex, real-world environments, thus making timing behavior a reliable index of the workload changes.

Determining the effectiveness of teaching intonation of the English language at a university

Introduction. Teaching the skills of adequate decoding of intonation is an integral part of teaching English, along with listening, speaking and reading skills. However, teaching this aspect is not always given sufficient attention. The purpose of the experiment is to identify the ability of students to decode the emotional characteristics of a sounding speech in a non-native language, as well as to reveal the correlation between the development of rhythmic-intonation skills and the level of the English language proficiency. Materials and methods. The research is carried out on the basis of the main tone groups of British English. The study is conducted by interviewing two groups of respondents with different levels of language proficiency (level B2 – 58 students) and C1 – 61 students). As a material for the survey, 11 statements in English were selected, having different intonation structure and belonging to different communicative types. The task of the respondents was to determine the attitude that the speaker puts into the utterance with the help of intonation. A correlation analysis was carried out between the level of English proficiency and the ability to correctly interpret intonation. The Chi-square criterion was used to calculate the homogeneity of two independent experimental samples. Results. The results of the study showed low ability of students to adequately interpret the English intonation and to identify the emotions of the speakers: correct answers gave 31.5% of respondents. We can conclude that students with the level of English proficiency C1, do not differ from students of group B2 in the level of perception of suprasegmental features of the English speech (χ2 = 10,06; p = 0,44). In other words, increasing the level of English proficiency does not affect the ability of students to correctly interpret intonation. Conclusion. The obtained result confirms the need for additional purposeful work on improving the methods of teaching prosody in a foreign language, aimed at improving the effectiveness of the educational process.

Discourse-based pronoun resolution in non-native sentence processing

Abstract Personal pronouns can potentially be resolved in logical syntax by means of variable binding (VB) or at the discourse-representational level through coreference assignment (CR). Previous research suggests that real-time reference resolution is guided more strongly by discourse-level cues in a non-native language (L2) than in a native language (L1). Here we use the VB/CR distinction to further test this hypothesis. Using eye-movement monitoring during reading and a complementary questionnaire task, we compared L1 German and L1 Russian/L2 German speakers’ resolution of object pronouns. While both our participant groups ultimately preferred CR over VB interpretations, only the L2 participants showed evidence of favouring a sentence-external CR antecedent from early on during processing. Our L1 group, by contrast, favoured a VB antecedent during processing. The observed L1/L2 processing differences reveal divergent antecedent search strategies, with L2 but not L1 speakers being primarily guided by discourse-level cues during real-time comprehension.

THE SCIENTIFIC STYLE OF SPEECH IN THE CLASSES FOR THE MOVEMENT TRAINING OF FOREIGN STUDENTS

The relevance of the study lies in the presentation of the methodological strategy, the formation of skills and methods of teaching ULF, the identification of common communication problems that arise in foreign students at the initial stage who study in a non-native language. The analysis of modern sources highlights the expansion of the range of research material on topic of teaching foreigners in Ukrainian, the emergence of relevant research and development of text and illustrative material based on modern Ukrainian reality, specifically on Ukrainian topics, unlike in the past, when only the experience of teaching RFL was used. The purpose of the study is to substantive the need for teaching the scientific style of speech in a non-native language. The methodology of the study in presenting the main material of the article is based on the general principles of forming the course on the scientific style of speech at the initial stage of training of foreign students who have to master the terminology in their chosen specialty and obtain higher education in Ukrainian higher education institutions. The methods of teaching for the formation of skills and abilities of future specialists in the field of various types of language and speech activities, professionally oriented level of language proficiency and professional terminology are outlined. Conclusions. The article focuses on the principles of selection, modeling and content of educational texts, tasks for texts depending on the level of language competence, the need to motivate students to learn and form intercultural competence in order to master the language of instruction and adapt foreign students to new conditions of functioning in a foreign language space in order to prevent culture shock. As a prospect for further development of research on the topic, attention is drawn to the need to structure and constantly replenish the textbook library in the form of paper and electronic textbooks modeled to the appropriate level of students and their specialization: a body of texts in the specialty.

Orthographic Errors Among High School Students: A Case Study of Toba Tek Singh, Punjab, Pakistan

Second language learning (SLL) involves learning a non-native language, including reading, writing, and listening skills. Students often commit orthographic errors, which are unconsciously or inadvertently written without proper spelling. This paper investigates the main causes of spelling errors among Pakistani English Language Learners at school levels specifically targeting high schools in the rural area of Punjab, Pakistan, known as Toba Tek Singh. This study uses a questionnaire and test-taking method with a sample of 300 girls and boys students from 9th and 10th standard through systematic sampling in order to collect and analyze data. The current paper discusses the different types of orthographic errors and investigates their reasons. The main premise of the current study was to find out the main causes of spelling errors among Pakistani English Language Learners at the School level. This leads us to a logical conclusion of the main causes of the poor spelling errors being made by the students. This makes us able to put suitable suggestions The study identifies the role of teachers in correcting these errors, with suggestions serving as a guide for teachers and recommendations for future research. Teachers play a crucial role in correcting these errors.

The effect of video podcasts on learning English proverbs by Iranian EFL learners

The question of whether podcasting affects the processes of teaching and learning English language has been extensively studied in recent years. However, there are a limited number of studies on whether video podcasts can affect learning English proverbs. The current study investigated the effectiveness of video podcasts in terms of learning English proverbs in a non-native environment. The participants of this study were 31 undergraduate students majoring in English Language and Literature at Yazd University who had enrolled in a course entitled “Listening and Speaking.” They were randomly divided into two groups namely control group and experimental group. A pre-test was given to both groups before the intervention sessions. The control group was taught based on the traditional approach, and the experimental group was taught based on video podcasting. Following 5 weeks of the intervention, all the students in the two groups were given a post-test. The results of the post-test revealed that the students in the experimental group performed much better in comparison to the students in the control group. Preliminary results of this study can increase nonnative English language teachers’ awareness of using technology in their classes with respect to teaching English proverbs. Also, immigrants who intend to learn English language and culture can benefit from the findings of this research.