RESEARCH PAPER

Research Paper

Abstract

Acquiring native-like proficiency in a second language seems impossible, not just to those studious undertakers, but to researchers alike. Research suggests that the ability to differentiate between phonemes outside of native language exposure rapidly declines in the years of life. Second language processing is a subject of particular interest to Psychologists as a growing pool of research suggests that language learning has a distinct critical period for acquisition very early on in life.

Introduction

Hypothesis

Brain imaging indicates separate locations between processing of languages learned before age and languages learned after(Conrad? 2003). Further studies indicate that second language proficiency is dependent on a critical period theory(Davis? 2005) And that differentiation of certain auditory processing depends on exposure to phonemes between the first and second years of life. (Davis? 2000)

Research Question

How might the processing a foreign language be attentionally taxing.

While foreign language processing has been shown to produce a decrease in thinking ability in concurrent (difficult?) tasks(Kossack? Hoffman? 2007), how might it affect automatic processes?

RESULTS:

Independent variable measured in net words per minute (corrected for accuracy( this typing proficiency measure is used in all further analyses and is reflective of both speed and accuracy. Typing skill was assessed in terms of net typing speed

ANOVA

SS

df

MS

F

Subjects

15456.12519

30

Treatment

179.8732021

2

89.93660104

3.723875292

Error

1449.080767

60

24.15134611

Total

17085.07916

92

The critical value when alpha is .05 for 2 and 60 degrees of freedom is 3.15. Our F ratio for treatments is 3.72, a significant value and treatment means are not all equal. Be our sample sizes are equal we can use Tukey's multiple comparisons procedure to compare treatment means and discover which significantly differ

Q=3.4 at alpha .05, for 3 trts and 60 df

3.4*square root(MSE/31) = 3.00

3.00* difference between means must be at least 3.00 to indicate a significant difference means

Familiar audio condition

59.05309677

Native audio condition

59.73490323

Unfamiliar audio condition

62.28448387

Unfamiliar - familiar = 3.23>3.00

Unfamiliar - Native = 2.54

The only significantly differing treatment means = native and unfamiliar net typing speed

Discussion

RHM language processing theory demonstrates an important difference in unskilled (unpracticed) L2 comprehension. L2 is translated to L1 before it is processed according to the corresponding mental representation that a person corresponds to L1.

RHM theory

Study

Bottom line

This model suggests that processing of L2 in unskilled speakers requires a 2 step process, translation to associated English word representation is the intermediate step. The problem state resource is the part of the brain, this keeps this intermediate step in WM

define the problem state resource

research on the problem state indicates that….

keeping this intermediate step in WM so that it can be solved leaves less room in WM for perceptual processing

problem state maintence implies that WM capacity is partially absorbed

therefore < 3 chunks

Cognitive threading ?

Language processing in L2 is a problem state, but the existence of a single problem state has not been found to disrupt function in concurrent tasks unless multiple problem states co-occur. However, both processes requires representations to be held in WM for prolonged periods this is predicted to cause interference based on cognitive threading

Transcription typing requires WM to hold 3 chunks

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