{"title":"Does the Processing Advantage of Formulaic Language Persist in Its Nonadjacent Forms? Evidence from Eye Movements of Chinese Collocations.","authors":"Shang Jiang","doi":"10.1007/s10936-024-10040-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10936-024-10040-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>It has been well documented that formulaic language (such as collocations; e.g., provide information) enjoys a processing advantage over novel language (e.g., compare information). In natural language use, however, many formulaic sequences are often inserted with words intervening in between the individual constituents (e.g., provided information → provide some of the information). Whether or not the processing advantage persists in nonadjacent forms remains largely unknown. The present study thus sought to address this gap by recording the eye movements of Chinese native speakers when they were reading sentences embedded with formulaic sequences (high frequency collocations) versus novel phrases (low frequency controls), in their adjacent (e.g., 'resolve difficulties' vs. 'experience difficulties'), short-insertion (e.g., 'resolve these difficulties' vs. 'experience these difficulties'), and long-insertion forms (e.g., 'resolved so many difficulties' vs. 'experienced so many difficulties'). Results suggested that the processing advantage for formulaic language over novel language existed not only in their adjacent form, but also in their short-insertion form, albeit the magnitude of the processing advantage diminished with the increase of insertion length. The persistence of FL processing advantage is in line with usage-based approach to language learning, processing, and use.</p>","PeriodicalId":47689,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psycholinguistic Research","volume":"53 2","pages":"28"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140111848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Impact of EFL Learners' Negative Emotional Orientations on (Un)Willingness to Communicate in In-person and Online L2 Learning Contexts.","authors":"Mehdi Solhi","doi":"10.1007/s10936-024-10071-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10936-024-10071-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present study explored how negative emotional orientations (i.e., anxiety, boredom, and demotivation) may contribute to English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' willingness to communicate (WTC) in in-person and online classes. In doing so, a total of 290 university students majoring in English were recruited to fill in a set of scales. The structural equation modeling analysis indicated that foreign language classroom anxiety (FLA) and L2 demotivation have a direct impact on EFL learners' in-person and online L2WTC. While L2 demotivation was the strongest significant predictor of learners' in-person L2WTC, FLA was the strongest predictor of online L2WTC. Additionally, there was a positive correlation among FLA, L2 demotivation, and foreign language classroom boredom (FLB). While FLA demonstrated no direct impact on communication willingness, it exhibited significant indirect paths to in-person L2WTC via the full mediation of L2 demotivation and FLA . Although the result did not show any significant direct impact of FLB on online L2WTC, it had a small yet significant indirect path to online L2WTC through the full mediation of FLA. FLA also revealed indirect significant paths to online L2WTC through FLB and L2 demotivation. The implications for L2 teachers and teacher educators will be further discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":47689,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psycholinguistic Research","volume":"53 2","pages":"26"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10920431/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140050722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"First Language Lexical Attrition in a First Language Setting: A Multi-Measure Approach Testing Teachers of English.","authors":"Yueqingzhou Ma, Norbert Vanek","doi":"10.1007/s10936-024-10068-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10936-024-10068-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Research on first language (L1) attrition typically focuses on immigrant populations in their second language (L2) environment, yet we know comparably little about L1 attrition in the L1 setting. This study used two lexical tasks to test L1 attrition, a time-sensitive word decision task and a video retelling. Chinese teachers of English vs. Chinese teachers of other subjects (N = 25/group) were recruited at a secondary school in China. The aim was to provide an exploratory basis of the L2 influence on L1 lexical attrition in the L1 environment, both on the level of lexical comprehension and production. Mixed-effects models were used to analyse multiple measures including response accuracy and reaction times in comprehension, and lexical diversity, density, sophistication, and accuracy in production. The results showed Chinese teachers' L1 lexical attrition in the form of longer response times to high-frequency Chinese words compared to non-English Chinese teachers, and the use of significantly fewer sophisticated words in their retellings. Also, teachers of English were faster and more accurate in decisions about Chinese borrowings from English, suggesting L2-driven influence on their mental lexicon. Considering participants' background information, analyses showed that increased L2 exposure and frequency of use can predict L1 lexical attrition.</p>","PeriodicalId":47689,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psycholinguistic Research","volume":"53 2","pages":"23"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10917821/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140040616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Effect of Syntactic Similarity on Intra-Sentential Switching Costs: Evidence from Chinese-English Bilinguals.","authors":"Fan Su, Xue-Yi Huang, Xin Chang","doi":"10.1007/s10936-024-10067-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10936-024-10067-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In order to better understand the role of syntactic similarity in a code-switched sentence, the current study explored the effect of similar and different syntactic structures on Chinese-English bilinguals' intra-sentential switching costs. L2 proficiency and switching directions as factors that potentially intervene in bilingual performance were together explored to see if there was any interaction. We manipulated the degree of syntactic similarity by utilizing clauses in active voice (greater similarity) and passive voice (lesser similarity). The study conducted a self-paced reading paradigm as a more natural language reading processing. Results showed overall longer reading times for active sentences than passive counterparts, which supported a syntactic similarity impediment rather than facilitation. The impediment seemed to be predominant irrespective of L2 proficiency. Furthermore, syntactic similarity modulated the asymmetry of switching costs between forward (L1-L2) and backward (L2-L1) direction: word RTs for the 1st and the 2nd switched word yielded greater costs in L2-L1 condition, while greater costs in L1-L2 condition was observed in 3rd switched word RTs and average RTs. The present study observed syntactic similarity impediment rather than facilitation for Chinese-English bilinguals. Notably, syntactic similarity plays a predominant role compared to L2 proficiency, and modulates the asymmetry between switching directions.</p>","PeriodicalId":47689,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psycholinguistic Research","volume":"53 2","pages":"22"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140040618","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Analysis of the Psychological Factors Faced by the Final Year College Students of China During Job Interviews and While Choosing Careers.","authors":"Jin Wan, Fei Liu","doi":"10.1007/s10936-024-10045-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10936-024-10045-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Career choice research has attracted the attention of recruiters and young graduates. The study aims to investigate the psychological factors that influence college students' employment choices. As a result, data for the study were gathered from 250 final-year college students in China via an online questionnaire survey. The study identified the psychological barriers faced by college students during job interviews through interviews with 120 h recruiters. The SPPS tool is used for data analysis. The study identified personal interest, self-efficacy, and self- esteem; social responsibilities; confidence; professional development opportunities; and future orientation as the important psychological factors that influence the career choice of college students. The study also found that the barriers faced by the college students during the interview were anxiety, inferiority complex, cowardice, and pride. Therefore, the study suggests that the college provides job-oriented training for college students' employment choices. The college should take the initiative to provide students with career opportunities and proper training to avoid psychological barriers during interviews.</p>","PeriodicalId":47689,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psycholinguistic Research","volume":"53 2","pages":"24"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140040615","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Reflection of the Japanese Consciousness and Worldview in the Context of Globalization in the Novels of Haruki Murakami.","authors":"Xiao Li, Xia Xiao","doi":"10.1007/s10936-024-10043-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10936-024-10043-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Contemporary literature encompasses not only works but also culture, defining the processes of the past preserved in the memory of posterity. Haruki Murakami influenced the shaping of this modern culture to a great extent. The research purpose is to investigate the phenomenon of Haruki Murakami analysing the components of the collective and individual consciousness of the Japanese nation in his fiction. At the methodological level, the following methods of analyzing literary phenomena were used in the training to solve the set tasks: hermeneutic interpretation and sociological method. The research reveals the main features of the urban world of the Japanese society portraying it in progress (from the post-war period to the present moment). The evolution process is portrayed as detachment, independence and solitude. The literary factors reflect both internal spiritual relations and global intercultural links. At the same time, the writer portrays Japan as a country experiencing technological and informational progress, thereby declaring that it is ready to accept and participate in the world changes and become a part of the globalisation process. The writer has made a great contribution to the treasury of Japanese literature and his works are considered an important part of the intercultural interactions between countries they are trying to achieve in a global world. The results close the theoretical and empirical gaps in the literature and literary criticism and contribute to the analysis of the cultural and literary traditions of Japan.</p>","PeriodicalId":47689,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psycholinguistic Research","volume":"53 2","pages":"25"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140040617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Navigating the Mental Lexicon: Network Structures, Lexical Search and Lexical Retrieval.","authors":"M P Agustín-Llach, J Rubio","doi":"10.1007/s10936-024-10059-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10936-024-10059-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper examines the implications of the association patterns in our understanding of the mental lexicon. By applying the principles of graph theory to word association data, we intend to explore which measures tap better into lexical knowledge. To that end, we had different groups of English as Foreign language learners complete a lexical fluency task. Based on these empirical data, a study was undertaken on the corresponding lexical availability graph (LAG). It is observed that the aggregation (mentioned through human coding) of all lexical tokens on a given topic allows the emergence of some lexical-semantic patterns. The most important one is the existence of some key terms, featuring both high centrality in the sense of network theory and high availability in the LAG, which define a hub of related terms. These communities of words, each one organized around an anchor term, or most central word, are nicely apprehended by a well-known network metric called modularity. Interestingly enough, each module seems to describe a conceptual class, showing that the collective lexicon, at least as approximated by LA Graphs, is organised and traversed by semantic mechanisms or associations via hyponymy or hiperonymy, for instance. Another empirical observation is that these conceptual hubs can be appended, resulting in high diameters compared to same-sized random graphs; even so it seems that the small-world hypothesis holds in LA Graphs, as in other social and natural networks.</p>","PeriodicalId":47689,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psycholinguistic Research","volume":"53 2","pages":"21"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10907441/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ahmed Mohammed Moneus, Fatima Abdullah Yahya Al-Inbari, Baleigh Qassim Al-Wasy
{"title":"Difficulties and Challenges of EFL Simultaneous Interpretation Among Saudi Undergraduates.","authors":"Ahmed Mohammed Moneus, Fatima Abdullah Yahya Al-Inbari, Baleigh Qassim Al-Wasy","doi":"10.1007/s10936-024-10057-w","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10936-024-10057-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many Saudi interpretation students have challenges and difficulties during the study of simultaneous interpreting courses. Most Saudi students encounter interpretation difficulties due to inadequate training and the adoption of traditional teaching methods. This study aimed to investigate the challenges and difficulties that undergraduate simultaneous interpretation students in Saudi Arabia encountered and suggested the best solutions to address this issue. The study followed a mixed-method research design of quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis methods to answer the research questions. The study sample was randomly selected from two Saudi universities (Najran University and King Abdul-Aziz University). Two research tools were used: a close-ended questionnaire for interpretation students and a semi-structured interview for translation professors. Responses to the questionnaire indicated that interpretation students face diverse challenges in language, curriculum, methodology, and training. Language difficulties encompassed struggles with interpreting terminology, handling long sentences, and keeping up with fast speech. Challenges related to curricula included issues of density, lack of clarity, and outdated simultaneous interpretation textbooks. Teaching method challenges were characterized by insufficient intensive training and a lack of technology-based interactive strategies. Interviews with professors highlighted additional challenges perceived by students, such as low proficiency and lack of motivation, expertise, background knowledge, equipment and labs. Professors recommended the following solutions: incorporating more practical and interactive interpretation activities, updating curricular content, offering skill-based training, and adopting modern interpretation techniques, equipment, and labs.</p>","PeriodicalId":47689,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psycholinguistic Research","volume":"53 2","pages":"18"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139991433","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Shut-up Toys for Second Language Learners: Impact of Digital Media on Early Adolescents' Private Speech Production in Individual and Collaborative Tasks.","authors":"Saman Ebadi, Maryam Amiri","doi":"10.1007/s10936-024-10056-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10936-024-10056-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Researchers, parents, and policymakers from previous generations have recently expressed concern about the inevitable exposure of youngsters to digital media and its potentially detrimental effects on their development. Private speech is the overt audible self-talk people produce when engaged with challenging problem-solving tasks and is believed to aid in second language acquisition as reported (Vygotsky in Thought and language, MIT Press, 1962); (Winsler in Private Speech, Executive Functioning, and the Development of Verbal Self-Regulation, 2009). This qualitative case study explored private speech production in three young adolescents (two 11-year-olds and one 10-year-old) while completing an English as a foreign language task (Bingo! game) individually and collaboratively in physical and digital modes. Patterns of participants' private speech markers emerged from a thematic analysis of the transcribed oral interactions during eight sessions. The frequency of occurrence of the participants' private speech markers was reported and interpreted based on the emergent typology to compare collaborative and individual task completion in physical and digital modes. Regardless of the individual or collaborative nature of the task, private speech use decreased during the digital version of the game. However, collaborative tasks evoked more private speech from the participants regardless of modality. The findings of the study suggest digital media usage is likely to hinder private speech production for self-regulatory purposes in young adolescents, even in collaboration with peers.</p>","PeriodicalId":47689,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psycholinguistic Research","volume":"53 2","pages":"19"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997855","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Pragmatic Skills in Late Adulthood.","authors":"Maria Alice Baraldi, Filippo Domaneschi","doi":"10.1007/s10936-024-10061-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10936-024-10061-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Research investigating pragmatic abilities in healthy aging suggests that both production and comprehension might be compromised; however, it is not clear how pragmatic abilities evolve in late adulthood, as well as when difficulties are more likely to arise. The aim of this study is to investigate the decline of pragmatic skills in aging, and to explore what cognitive and demographic factors support pragmatic competence. We assessed pragmatic production skills, including discourse abilities such as speech, informativeness, information flow, paralinguistic aspects, as well as the ability to produce informative descriptions of pictures, and pragmatic comprehension skills, which encompassed the ability to understand discourse and the main aspects of a narrative text, to infer non-literal meanings and to comprehend verbal humor in a group of elderly individuals and in a sample of younger participants. Moreover, specific cognitive functions (short-term memory, verbal and visuospatial working memory, inhibition Theory of Mind, and Cognitive Reserve) were assessed in both groups. Pragmatic difficulties seem to occur in late adulthood, likely around 70 years, and emerge more prominently when participants are asked to understand verbal humor. Age was the only predictor of general pragmatic performance in a sample of cognitively unimpaired older adults; conversely, when elderly individuals with less intact inhibitory control are considered, a general role of inhibition emerged, in addition to working memory and ToM in specific tasks.</p>","PeriodicalId":47689,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Psycholinguistic Research","volume":"53 2","pages":"20"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-02-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139997854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"文学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}