Purpose: Idea density has been shown to influence comprehension time for text in various populations. This study aims to explore the influence of spoken idea density on attainment in young, healthy subjects using demographic characteristics. Methods: Students watched two online lectures and answered 10 multiple choice questions on them. Students received one more idea dense (MID) and one less idea dense (LID) lecture on two different subjects. Results: Seventy-five students completed the study achieving a higher median score after a less idea-dense lecture (LID ¼ 7(3), MID ¼ 6(3), p ¼ 0.04). Artificial neural network models revealed the first language as the main predictor of exam performance. The odds ratio (OR) of obtaining !70% after a more idea-dense lecture was six-time higher for the first language versus second language English speakers (OR ¼ 5.963, 95% CI 1.080-32.911, p ¼ 0.041). The odds ratio was not significant when receiving a less dense lecture (OR ¼ 2.298, 95% CI 0.635-8.315, p ¼ 0.205). Second-language speakers benefited from receiving a lower idea density, achieving a 10.8% score increase from high to low density, versus a 3.2% increase obtained by first language speakers. Conclusions: The propositional idea density of lectures directly influences students' comprehension, and disproportionately for second language speakers; revealing the possibility of reduced spoken idea density in levelling the attainment differential between first and second language speakers. KEYWORDSIdea density; concept density; attainment differential; international students; psycholinguistics 'The black cat sat on the mat' Idea density ¼ 5 ideas Ä 7 words ¼ 0.71 'There is a cat, which is black, and it is sitting on the mat' Idea density ¼ 5 ideas Ä 14 words ¼ 0.36

Current research shows that listeners are generally accurate at estimating speakers' age from their speech. This study investigates the effect of speaker first language and the role played by such speaker characteristics as fundamental frequency and speech rate. In this study English and Japanese first language speakers listened to English-and Japanese accented English speech and estimated the speakers' age. We find the highest correlation between real and estimated speaker age for English listeners listening to English speakers, followed by Japanese listeners listening to both English and Japanese speakers, with English listeners listening to Japanese speakers coming last. We find that Japanese speakers are estimated to be younger than the English speakers by English listeners, and both groups of listeners estimate male speakers and speakers with a lower mean fundamental frequency to be older. These results suggest that listeners rely on sociolinguistic information in their speaker age estimations and language familiarity plays a role in their success.

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