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An RCT-study exploring the effects of choir singing on neural processing of second-language phonology in adults
Poster Session A, Wednesday, September 30, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm, Wangari Maathai
This poster is part of the Sandbox Series.
Annika Andersson1, Sanna Kraft1, Laszlo Harmat1; 1Linnaeus University
Acquiring a second language (L2) is a challenge especially for adults and also crucial for integration. Learning an L2 requires time, commitment, and sometimes even creative methods to facilitate the learning process (Ludke et al., 2014). Although music-based interventions, especially choir singing, have shown promise for L2 acquisition, little is known about how choir singing influences neural processing of adult L2 phonology (Patel, 2011). By combining insights from cognitive neuroscience and music education, the purpose of this study is to deepen the understanding of the cognitive and neural mechanisms of music-based interventions on L2 learning in healthy adults. Studies of effects of age of acquisition (AoA) typically show no relationships with processing of vocabulary, while decreasing proficiency in relation to grammar and phonology. For instance, neurophysiological studies have shown effects of AoA on grammatical processing already at three years of age (e.g., Weber-Fox & Neville, 1996). Phonological processing has been shown to be even more sensitive to AoA where effects of age have been established already at 12 months of age (e.g., Moon et al., 2013; Tsao et al., 2004). Importantly, not only is L2 phonology difficult to acquire but there are also strong attitudes related to not sounding like a native speaker (Lev-Ari & Keyser, 2010; Torstensson, 2010) rendering L2 phonology acquisition especially interesting to study in an immigrant population. Prior research has demonstrated a link between music and language processing, suggesting that musical training can positively influence various aspects of language learning, including phonological awareness (PA), vocabulary acquisition, and grammar comprehension (Gordon et al., 2015). In an intervention study, Patscheke et al. (2016), investigated the impact of music training on L2-PA in children in comparison with two active control groups; phonological skills program and a sports program. Both the music and phonological skills group showed a significant increase in PA, while there was no significant improvement with the sports control group. However, music training showed the largest effect size suggesting that music training enhance phonological skills in L2-acquisition. The current study aims to investigate the potential of choir singing to enhance adults’ L2 acquisition. Thirty adults will participate in weekly choir singing for 5 months and will be compared to two other groups; one active control, where thirty adults will listen to audiobooks (in L2), and thirty adults will be part of a no-intervention group. For all groups, ERPs will be recorded during a rhyming task to examine the neural correlates of phonological processing (N450), while standardized measures of PA and fluency will provide behavioral indicators of development of L2 proficiency. Statistical analyses, including repeated measures ANOVA, will be used to evaluate changes in the ERP rhyming effects and overall L2 proficiency following the intervention period. Findings from this study aim to contribute to our understanding of the potential cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying possible beneficial effects of music-based interventions, such as regular choir singing on L2 acquisition, with implications for educational practices and interventions targeting language learning in healthy adult populations.
Topic Areas: Language Development/Acquisition, Phonology