The Influence of Language Proficiency on Lexical Semantic Processing in Native and Late Learners of English

Abstract

We investigated the influence of English proficiency on ERPs elicited by lexical semantic violations in English sentences, in both native English speakers and native Spanish speakers who learned English in adulthood. All participants were administered a standardized test of English proficiency, and data were analyzed using linear mixed effects (LME) modeling. Relative to native learners, late learners showed reduced amplitude and delayed onset of the N400 component associated with reading semantic violations. As well, after the N400 late learners showed reduced anterior negative scalp potentials and increased posterior potentials. In both native and late learners, N400 amplitudes to semantically appropriate words were larger for people with lower English proficiency. N400 amplitudes to semantic violations, however, were not influenced by proficiency. Although both N400 onset latency and the late ERP effects differed between L1 and L2 learners, neither correlated with proficiency. Different approaches to dealing with the high degree of correlation between proficiency and native/late learner group status are discussed in the context of LME modeling. The results thus indicate that proficiency can modulate ERP effects in both L1 and L2 learners, and for some measures (in this case, N400 amplitude), L1–L2 differences may be entirely accounted for by proficiency. On the other hand, not all effects of L2 learning can be attributed to proficiency. Rather, the differences in N400 onset and the post-N400 violation effects appear to reflect fundamental differences in L1–L2 processing.

The Polarity Sensitivity of the Electrically Stimulated Human Auditory Nerve Measured at the Level of the Brainstem

“…LME models were chosen since they can deal with unbalanced data, complex modeling of random effects variables, and can account for nonsphericity (Baayen et al 2008;Krueger and Tian 2004;Newman et al 2011;Wierda et al 2010). LME analyses were performed using the R software package (Development Core Team 2011) and the R packages lme4 (Bates et al 2012), languageR (Baayen 2012), and LMERConvenienceFunctions (Tremblay 2012).…”

Native-language N400 and P600 predict dissociable language-learning abilities in adults

“…Event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to semantic and syntactic features exhibit distinct temporal and scalp distribution patterns (Hagoort et al, 1993; Kutas & Hillyard, 1984; Osterhout & Holcomb, 1992). Moreover, as individuals’ semantic and syntactic skills improve during foreign-language learning, these ERPs appear to grow more native-like (Batterink & Neville, 2013; Hahne et al, 2006; McLaughlin et al, 2004; McLaughlin et al, 2010; Midgley et al, 2009; Morgan-Short et al, 2012a; Newman et al, 2012; Osterhout et al, 2006; Tanner et al, 2014; Yum et al, 2014). …”

Oscillatory Responses to Semantic and Syntactic Violations

“…The P600 has also been observed for syntactically complex (Kaan, Harris, Gibson, & Holcomb, 2000) or ambiguous structures (Osterhout, Holcomb, & Swinney, 1994) and may index reanalysis and repair of the syntactic structure after a violation has been detected (Friederici, Hahne, & Saddy, 2002;Osterhout & Holcomb, 1992). In addition, the amplitude and latency of these ERPs have been shown to be modulated by subject-specific attributes such as language proficiency (Newman, Tremblay, Nichols, Neville, & Ullman, 2012;Pakulak & Neville, 2010) and age of acquisition (Sanders, Weber-Fox, & Neville, 2008;Weber-Fox & Neville, 1999).…”