Development of spoken word recognition during early childhood

幼儿时期口语单词识别的发展

• 批准号: RGPIN-2021-02859
• 负责人: Zamuner, Tania
• 金额: $ 2.8万
• 依托单位: University of Ottawa
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2021-01-01 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=742250
• 关键词: Development; spoken; word; recognition; during

Understanding language happens so naturally and easily that it often feels as if words are provided to us in perfect condition. This sensation is a testament to the power of how our brains process language. In actuality, understanding language is a very complex task. Language is multidimensional, variable, and takes years to learn. Remarkable accomplishments take place early in infancy. In the first year of life, infants can recognize familiar words like `hands'. The rapid development of these early abilities gives the impression that language is entirely learned by the onset of schooling. However, language skills continue to develop throughout childhood. Many aspects of language are challenging our brains behind the scenes. One challenge faced by learners are the many subtle variations in speech. Say the words `teek' and `took'. Notice how your mouth is in different positions. These positioning changes cause variations in the speech signal. Adults can exploit these subtle sound differences as short as 15 milliseconds during processing. These cues are also a fundamental aspect of how children process speech; however, children are slower and show different patterns. Our understanding of how this works is limited to a small number of studies, looking at narrow contexts. Many questions remain unanswered as to how these skills develop over childhood. At the core of these fundamental issues are answers to questions about what is language and how is language learned. This research will examine the development of spoken word recognition by focusing on how children develop, organize and process mental representations of language. It uses eye-tracking, given the method's high reliability and sensitivity, enabling us to identify differences across ages, subtle sound cues and contexts. The specific goals are to: 1) Enrich our understanding of how learners represent and process sound cues during spoken word recognition, 2) Explore how children integrate and process these cues within a larger environment, and 3) Identify developmental patterns and mechanisms in spoken word recognition. These empirical studies will bring answers to questions about the fundamental task of spoken word recognition during language development, and they address basic processes of the brain and mind during information learning and processing. They will deepen our understanding of the flexible learning mechanisms and basic cognitive capacities that lead to complex and skilled behaviours. These findings will be of interest to researchers in cognitive and neuroscience, and related clinical fields such as pediatric cochlear implants. This research will be conducted at the uOttawa Living Lab, and the public is invited to experience `science-in-action', in a socially innovative space. Thus, this program will also increase equity in access to outcomes, increase Canadians' scientific literacy, and enrich public discourse on language development.

理解语言是如此自然而轻松地发生，以至于通常感觉到在完美的状态下向我们提供了单词。这种感觉证明了我们的大脑过程语言的力量。实际上，理解语言是一项非常复杂的任务。语言是多维的，可变的，需要数年才能学习。出色的成就是在婴儿期的早期进行的。在生命的第一年，婴儿可以识别诸如“手”之类的熟悉词。这些早期能力的快速发展给人的印象是，语言是通过教育的开始就可以学习的。但是，语言技能在整个童年时期继续发展。语言的许多方面都在挑战我们幕后的大脑。学习者面临的一个挑战是语音的许多细微差异。说“ Teek”和“ Take”一词。请注意，您的嘴在不同位置。这些定位变化会导致语音信号的变化。在处理过程中，成年人可以利用这些微妙的声音差异至15毫秒。这些线索也是儿童如何处理言语的基本方面。但是，孩子的速度较慢，并且显示出不同的模式。我们对这种工作方式的理解仅限于少量研究，从狭窄的情况下。关于这些技能如何发展童年，许多问题仍然没有得到答案。这些基本问题的核心是关于语言和语言如何学习的问题的答案。这项研究将通过关注儿童的发展，组织和处理语言的心理表征来研究口语识别的发展。鉴于该方法的高可靠性和灵敏度，它使用了眼睛追踪，使我们能够确定各个时代，微妙的声音提示和环境的差异。具体目标是：1）丰富我们对学习者在口语识别过程中如何表示和处理声音的理解，2）探索孩子如何在更大的环境中整合和处理这些线索，3）确定口语中的发展模式和机制认出。 这些经验研究将为有关语言发展过程中口语识别的基本任务的问题带来答案，并在信息学习和处理过程中解决大脑和思想的基本过程。他们将加深我们对柔性学习机制和基本认知能力的理解，从而导致复杂而熟练的行为。这些发现将引起认知和神经科学领域的研究人员以及相关的临床领域，例如小儿耳蜗植入物。这项研究将在乌塔瓦生活实验室进行，并邀请公众在社会创新的空间中体验“科学行动”。因此，该计划还将提高获得成果的权益，提高加拿大人的科学素养，并丰富公众对语言发展的论述。