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The Neurobiological Basis for Embodied Word Learning in Chinese and English
Poster Session D, Saturday, October 26, 10:30 am - 12:00 pm, Great Hall 3 and 4
Connie Qun Guan1; 1Beijing Language and Culture University, Beijing, China, 2Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 3Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, P.A. U.S.A.
[Introduction] Embodied hand movement facilitates the word processing, but little is known as to how language proficiency affects this process in a second language (L2). Especially when the learners operated two different languages, such as Chinese vs. English. Here, we examined word learning in L2 Chinese learners and L2 English learners using the embodied hand movement paradigm (Guan et al., 2015. 2021, 2022). [Aims] We aimed to explore the neurobiological basis of word learning among leaners who were adopting the embodiment learning tasks. The embodiment learning tasks/conditions were designed in the way hand movements differed in the way word form-meaning- and sound are associated. [Method] We designed specifically three embodied learning conditions (i.e., the pure handwriting, shape-drawing, and delayed copying as compared to the passive visual viewing condition (i.e., baseline). We recruited 40 per group/condition of high vs. low proficient L2 learners in both Chinese and English. We collected both behavioral measures of accuracy and response times, and neurological data including several neural indicators of event-related-potentials (ERPs) (i.e., early visual of N170, attention of P300, and semantic unexpectedness of N400). We also conducted MRI (magnetic resonance imaging techniques) at neurobiological levels. [Results] Behavioral results showed that reduced response times and higher accuracy rates in conditions with specific sensorimotor experiences (i.e., pure handwriting and shape-drawing) as compared to passive visual viewing condition (i.e., baseline) for high proficient L2 learners. We claim this first finding as the facilitative effects of embodied word learning. But there was no evidence of such facilitative effect in low proficient L2 learners. Behavioral results were also associated with the neural indicators. Event-related potentials (ERPs) showed that embodied learning modulations in N170 and N400 for low and proficient L2 learners, suggesting a critical role of proficiency in language embodiment: behaviorally, sensorimotor experiences facilitate L2 word recognition in high but not low proficient L2 learners; at the neural level, sensorimotor experiences promote processing early visual form information for low proficient L2 learners and late semantic information for high L2 learners respectively. The MRI evidence also suggested highly activated connectivity between the visual and semantic hub areas of the brain. [Conclusion] We concluded that both Chinese and English L2 users are adopting the similarly embodied neurological mechanism in processing the new word, especially at the early visual/orthographic wordform areas and the semantic-integration regions of the human brain. Furthermore the Chinese L2 word learning seems to challenge more for the form-meaning association, whereas the English L2 word learning seems to challenge more for the form-sound attentional regions of the brain. The language-general and language specific mechanisms of the embodiment word learning were discussed using the linguistic relativity theories and its applications in L2 learning practices.
Topic Areas: Multisensory or Sensorimotor Integration, Language Development/Acquisition