Autonomic Factors of Successful Foreign Language Acquisition by Students and Schoolchildren

Abstract

The aim of the study was to identify autonomic factors of successful acquisition of a foreign language by students and schoolchildren and find the optimal modes of autonomic regulation of the learning processes. Materials and Methods. 16 children in grade 4, 37 pupils in grades 5-11 studying at school with in-depth English language learning, and 10 second-year linguistics university students participated in the study. The data on the functional state dynamics of the university students and schoolchildren during English lessons were collected using event-related telemetry technology, which continuously recorded the heart rate. A specially designed protocol and a standard 5-point grading scale were used to assess the language progress. Results. The analysis of heart rate variability data in different contexts revealed a similarity in autonomic regulation modes for the schoolchildren and university students who studied English successfully. Consequently, similar functional states are typical for performing different language-related tasks. For all age groups, high activity of the autonomic nervous system was optimal for English learning. The difference was in the sympathetic and parasympathetic activity ratio: the contribution of the sympathetic circuit is more important for the university students, whereas the parasympathetic one-at school stage. Conclusion. The study of a foreign language acquisition by the Russian students and schoolchildren showed that from the standpoint of psychophysiology, the main factor of success for the students was a high autonomic nervous system activity with a prominent dominance of the sympathetic activation. For the schoolchildren, a coordinated activation of both sympathetic and parasympathetic regulation modes was the most optimal state for language learning.