This project will explore a new approach to studying how the timing and nature of input might affect language acquisition--more specifically, the re-acquisition of a first language (L1) and the acquisition of a second language (L2). The proposed research will directly bear on important theoretical issues such as: whether, and how, early experience with a language can establish a learner's mental representation of the language in some fundamental and long-lasting way, how much of a language can be acquired without negative feedback (e.g., through merely overhearing and/or being spoken to), and how much of implicit childhood memory for the structure of a language can be recovered through re-acquisition. This project will examine whether, and how, various kinds of experience with a language during childhood affect people learn or re-learn that language during adolescence or adulthood. Two studies will assess: (1) possible long-term and unique benefits of what is learned during childhood, and (2) possible benefits of incomplete language experience. Language abilities of first-time adult/adolescent learners of Spanish will be compared to those of re-learners will different kinds of prior experience with Spanish (e.g., overhearing vs. being spoken to vs. speaking briefly; early vs. late exposure). This project will focus on two aspects of language that can be readily acquired by children but seem hard to be mastered by adults, namely, morphosyntax and phonology. In addition general speaking (e.g., story telling) and comprehension skills (understanding everyday conversations) will be examined. The project will also bear on important applied issues such as whether it is worthwhile to encourage children to speak their immigrant parents' native language when they might stop using that language within a few years, and whether language education programs for young children could have lasting and measurable benefits.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH056118-03
Application #
6165173
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZMH1-BRB-I (01))
Program Officer
Kurtzman, Howard S
Project Start
1998-03-01
Project End
2002-02-28
Budget Start
2000-03-01
Budget End
2002-02-28
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$185,358
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
092530369
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
Au, Terry Kit-Fong; Oh, Janet S; Knightly, Leah M et al. (2008) Salvaging a Childhood Language. J Mem Lang 58:998-1011
Knightly, Leah M; Jun, Sun-Ah; Oh, Janet S et al. (2003) Production benefits of childhood overhearing. J Acoust Soc Am 114:465-74
Oh, Janet S; Jun, Sun-Ah; Knightly, Leah M et al. (2003) Holding on to childhood language memory. Cognition 86:B53-64
Au, Terry Kit-fong; Knightly, Leah M; Jun, Sun-Ah et al. (2002) Overhearing a language during childhood. Psychol Sci 13:238-43