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A cognitive perspective on language learning in young and older adults

A cognitive perspective on language learning in young and older adults. Henk Haarmann ILR Plenary Session, Foreign Service Institute (February 15, 2008). Schema. Cognitive functioning. Healthy aging. Language learning & use. Outcome optimization. Older & younger adults.

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A cognitive perspective on language learning in young and older adults

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  1. A cognitive perspective on language learningin young and older adults Henk HaarmannILR Plenary Session, Foreign Service Institute(February 15, 2008)

  2. Schema Cognitive functioning Healthy aging Language learning & use Outcome optimization Older & younger adults

  3. Memory & cognitive control Long-term memory Declarative(episodic,semantic) Procedural Cognitive control Represent, maintain, updatetask context Attend, Inhibit, Sustain, Switch

  4. Cognitive aging: healthy vs. pathological Long-term memory storage Encoding & Retrieval Cognitive control

  5. Healthy cognitive aging • Working memory • Inhibition (early, balanced bilinguals) • Attention • Selective, Divided, Alternating, Sustained • Episodic memory • Free recall, temporal order memory, source memory • Processing speed • Simple perceptual • Complex cognitive

  6. YoungOld Time Healthy cognitive aging • Learning • Declarative memory • Procedural memory • Explicit learning (versus implicit learning) • Performance level (versus learning rate)

  7. Next topic Cognitive functioning Healthy aging next next Language learning & use Outcome optimization Older & younger adults

  8. Age-related language declines have been well documented

  9. Age-related language declines • Comprehension • Syntactic complexity/ambiguity • Anaphoric reference • Rapid presentation of linguistic stimuli • Noisy conditions • Spontaneous speech • Syntactic complexity • L2 pronunciation (Larson-Hall, 2006) • Naming • Tip of the Tongue (TOT) • Nouns & action verbs (isolation vs. context)

  10. Age-related language declines • Language learning in adults • Gradual decline in language learning ability well into adulthood • Laboratory-based learning (e.g., vocabulary learning)(Service & Craik, 1993) • Classroom instructed learning (Bialystok and Hakuta, 1994; Perales & Cenoz, 2002; Wang, 1998) • Artificial grammar learning (Midford & Kirsner, 2005) • Impaired: Explicit learning, simple grammar • Relatively preserved: Implicit learning, complex grammar(cf. non-linguistic learning: D’eridita & Hoyer, 1999) • Knowledge of prior languages

  11. Age-related language declines • Foreign language processing • Shows greater decline than native language processing • Michel Paridis’ explanation: • Child language learning • implicit memory, automatic processing • Adult language learning • explicit memory, controlled processing • Greater vulnerability to distraction and overload,especially in older adults, with deficit in controlled processing

  12. Other considerations • Non-cognitive factors: Anxiety • Negative impact on learning a second language (review in Peralis & Cenoz, 2002) • Greater in older than young adult language learners(Bailey et al.) • Inter-individual variability • Larger within group of older than young adults • Research methodology • Cross-sectional vs. longitudinal design • Non age-related factors • Gubarchuk & Kemper (1997) examined learning of Russian (proficiency & syntactic production) • The following factors had a greater impact than age • Education level • Knowledge of English and other languages

  13. Program optimization • Reduced cognitive control impairs language learning & use • Individual differences (IDs) in cognitive control are due to healthy aging but also occur within age-groups • Measures aimed at compensating for reduced cognitive control should help both young and older individuals with reduced cognitive control

  14. Potential measures • Mental fitness training • to improve cognitive control functions (Ball et al., 2002, JAMA) • Immersion-like settings • for minimizing need for effortful suppression of the native language • Individualized graduated interval training • for more successful retrieval from long-term memory • Distributed practice / context variation • for minimizing similarity-based interference & promoting transfer from context-dependent episodic memory to context-independent semantic memory

  15. Potential measures continued • Extended time on task \ more efficient use of time • for deeper memory encoding • Reduction in distractions • for reducing need for effortful inhibitory control • Heightened context predictability • for reducing conceptual-level processing load • Slower presentation rates, exaggerated prosody, & visible articulatory movements • for coping with slower perceptual speed • Smarter methods for engaging implicit memory / procedural memory • to reduce reliance on error-prone cognitively-controlled processing

  16. Potential measures (final slide) • Use of computer chat rooms • for minimizing working memory load while practice different components of speech planning (Payne and Whitney, 2002) .

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