Contextual learning of L2 word meanings: second language proficiency modulates behavioural and event-related brain potential (ERP) indicators of learning

Elgort, Irina; Perfetti, Charles A.; Rickles, Ben; Stafura, Joseph Z.

doi:10.1080/23273798.2014.942673

Cited by 53 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 83 publications

(109 reference statements)

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“…In less proficient participants, the brain may not be able to register sufficiently well that the semantically related words are in fact related or that two semantically unrelated words are in fact unrelated, or both. This result replicates the larger N400 effect to incongruency in L2 in high-vs lower-proficiency bilinguals (Ardal, Donald, Meuter, Muldrew & Luce, 1990;Elgort, Perfetti, Rickles & Stafura, 2016). Note that here we only analysed the responses to the items that were familiar to the participants (although the result was also confirmed by an ad hoc analysis of all items).…”

Section: Semantic Similarity Effectssupporting

confidence: 74%

Crosslinguistic interplay between semantics and phonology in late bilinguals: neurophysiological evidence

2018

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We investigated effects of crosslinguistic phonological and semantic similarity on the bilingual lexicon of late unbalanced bilinguals. Our masked priming paradigm used L1 (Russian) words as masked primes and L2 (English) words as targets. The primes and the targets either overlapped – phonologically, semantically, both phonologically and semantically – or did not overlap. Participants maintained the targets in memory and matched them against occasionally presented catch stimuli. N170 and N400 components of the word-elicited high-density ERPs were identified and analysed in signal and source space. Crosslinguistic semantic similarity shortened the reaction times. The semantics-related N400 amplitude difference correlated with individual L2 proficiency, while phonological similarity suppressed the N400 amplitude in the semantically unrelated condition. ERP source analysis suggests that these ERP dynamics are underpinned by cortical generators in the left IFG and the temporal pole. We conclude that the semantic and phonological interplay between L1 and L2 suggest an integrated bilingual lexicon.

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Section: Semantic Similarity Effectssupporting

confidence: 74%

Crosslinguistic interplay between semantics and phonology in late bilinguals: neurophysiological evidence

2018

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“…As such, at the first stages of L2 word learning, the latency of N400 can be delayed in comparison to the canonical latency (e.g., in the 550-850 ms time window) as it was the case for the low proficiency learners in Ojima, Nakata, and Kakigi (2005). With respect to topography, newly learnt words can yield N400 effects over frontal electrode sites, instead of over the canonical centro-parietal sites (Elgort et al, 2015). Both the delayed latency and frontal distribution have been explained by lower proficiency and more effortful processing.…”

Section: Erps and L2 Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies demonstrated that ERPs may be sensitive to variables related to L2 instruction, such as proficiency (Elgort et al, 2015), individual differences (Tanner et al, 2013), immersion (Bowden et al, 2013) and the mid-and long-term effects of L2 classroom instruction (Soskey et al, 2016). Yet, while it is widely accepted in L2 instruction that an explicit focus on grammatical and lexical items yields the best learning effects (Spada & Tomita, 2010;Webb & Nation, 2017), remarkably few ERP studies sought to shed light on knowledge that has been acquired through either explicit or implicit instruction (i.e., the presence or absence of an attentional focus on L2 features).…”

Section: Erp Research and L2 Instructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) obtained through Electro-Encephalography (EEG) may address this gap. First, they can provide a fine-grained insight into the neurocognitive mechanisms that underlie ongoing L2 processing (Elgort et al, 2015). Furthermore, they have the sensitivity to track small amounts of knowledge and provide insights into the early stages of the incremental lexical learning process (Schmitt, 2010, p. 115).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) as sensitive measures in L2 vocabulary acquisition research

Vandenberghe¹,

Perez²,

Reynvoet³

et al. 2019

Journal of the European Second Language Association

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Neurocognitive measures have only scarcely been used in second language (L2) vocabulary research. Traditionally, L2 vocabulary knowledge has been gauged by using off-line measures that allow for conscious thinking and attentional control. Yet, it has been argued that more research is warranted on the role of measures that have the sensitivity to tap into on-line lexical processing. Recording Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) may be an effective technique in order to refine our understanding of L2 vocabulary knowledge. In the current article, we provide a comprehensive review of the relevant literature in order to examine the extent to which ERP research may be valuable to L2 vocabulary research. This review focuses on the potential of ERPs to address the multifaceted nature of vocabulary knowledge. It also examines the role of ERPs to elucidate the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the incremental nature of L2 vocabulary learning. Finally, this paper discusses the extent to which ERPs might contribute to understanding factors that affect L2 vocabulary learning.

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“…Because readers' existing L2 vocabulary knowledge plays a role in the learning of new words (e.g., Elgort, Perfetti, Rickles, & Stafura, 2014), the participants' vocabulary test scores were included in the analyses of their explicit and implicit word knowledge as secondary interest predictors. The participants' vocabulary knowledge in English was measured using LexTALE (Lemhöfer & Broersma, 2012;www.lextale.com) and a vocabulary levels test (VLT) of controlled productive ability (Laufer & Nation, 1999).…”

Section: Participants' Vocabulary Knowledgementioning

confidence: 99%

Incorrect inferences and contextual word learning in English as a second language

Elgort

2017

JESLA

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Elgort, I. (2017). Incorrect inferences and contextual word learning in English as a second language. Journal of the European Second Language Association, 1(1), 1-11, DOI: https://doi.org/10.22599/jesla.3 RESEARCH Incorrect inferences and contextual word learning in English as a second language Irina ElgortWhen readers encounter new words they may try to infer their meanings from context. Such contextual inferences may be correct or incorrect. This research considered the effect of incorrect meaning inferences on contextual word learning in English as a second language. Chinese speakers encountered 48 novel vocabulary items in informative single-sentence English contexts and were instructed to infer their meanings. They were able to verify their inferences by reviewing dictionary-type definitions at the end of the learning procedure. Participants' explicit knowledge of the critical vocabulary items was probed using a meaning generation task; their implicit knowledge was examined using a mixed-modality masked repetition priming lexical decision task. The results revealed a differential effect of incorrect inferences on the explicit and implicit knowledge of the vocabulary items. Explicit knowledge of meaning was less accurate after incorrect inferences than after correct inferences, but it was not worse than the knowledge gained when no explicit inference had been made. Implicit knowledge however was not affected by incorrect inferences. Pedagogical and research implications of the study findings are considered.Keywords: Contextual word learning; Vocabulary; Meaning inferences; Implicit knowledge 1. Introduction Inferring word meanings from context in a second languageRecently I interviewed fifty Chinese university students studying in an English-speaking country about their attitudes toward guessing word meanings from context when reading in English, their second language (L2). A common concern about this approach to learning new words expressed in these interviews was, 'What if I guess incorrectly?' Indeed, researchers have found that L2 readers make incorrect inferences about word meanings during reading (Bensoussan & Laufer, 1984;Frantzen, 2003;Kelly, 1990;Laufer, 1997;Mondria, 2003; Schoutenvan Parreren, 1992). Incorrect inferences may arise when the context in which an unfamiliar word occurs provides insufficient support for inferring the meaning (is lowconstraining, vague or ambiguous). Another reason for incorrect inferences is text difficulty for an individual reader; Hu and Nation (2000) found that about 98% of the running words in a text need to be known in order to achieve the level of understanding that supports the learning of new L2 words. Therefore, the same text may serve as informative context for one reader, but not another. Incorrect inferences may also arise when an unfamiliar L2 word is mistakenly identified as familiar (Laufer, 1997) or when a guess is made on the basis of form similarity to another word, unrelated in meaning, without adequate attention to context (Frantzen, 2003).The rela...

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Contextual learning of L2 word meanings: second language proficiency modulates behavioural and event-related brain potential (ERP) indicators of learning

Cited by 53 publications

References 83 publications

Crosslinguistic interplay between semantics and phonology in late bilinguals: neurophysiological evidence

Crosslinguistic interplay between semantics and phonology in late bilinguals: neurophysiological evidence

The role of Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) as sensitive measures in L2 vocabulary acquisition research

Incorrect inferences and contextual word learning in English as a second language

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