月: 2020年9月

Cambridge University Press発行の査読付き国際誌Studies in Second Language Acquisitionに言語適性に関する論文が採択されました。ロンドン大学斉藤一弥氏の研究チームとの共同研究です。

詳細は以下の通りです。

Saito, K., Sun, H., Kachlicka, M., Robert, J., Nakata, T., & Tierney, A. (in press). Domain-general auditory processing explains multiple dimensions of L2 acquisition in adulthood. Studies in Second Language Acquisition.

Abstract

In this study, we propose a hypothesis that domain-general auditory processing, a perceptual anchor of L1 acquisition, can serve as the foundation of successful post-pubertal L2 learning. This hypothesis was tested with 139 post-pubertal L2 immersion learners by linking individual differences in auditory discrimination across multiple acoustic dimensions to the segmental, prosodic, lexical, and morphosyntactic dimensions of L2 proficiency. Overall, auditory processing was a primary determinant of a range of participants’ proficiency scores, even after biographical factors (experience, age) were controlled for. The link between audition and proficiency was especially clear for L2 learners who had passed beyond the initial phase of immersion (length of residence > 1 year). The findings suggest that greater auditory processing skill benefits post-pubertal L2 learners immersed in naturalistic settings for a sufficient period of time by allowing them to better utilize received input, which results in greater language gains and leads to more advanced L2 proficiency in the long run (similar to L1 acquisition).

査読付き国際誌The Journal of Asia TEFLに論文が採択されました。詳細は以下の通りです。

Nakata, T., Tamura, Y. & Aubrey, S. (in press). Examining the validity of the LexTALE test for Japanese college students. The Journal of Asia TEFL.

Abstract

The question of how vocabulary knowledge of second language (L2) learners can be measured in a valid and reliable way has attracted attention from researchers. One widely used format for assessing vocabulary knowledge is a Yes/No test, where learners are asked to indicate whether they know each vocabulary word on the test. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the LexTALE test, a recently developed Yes/No English vocabulary test, can be an approximate measure of vocabulary knowledge and general proficiency for Japanese learners of English. In this study, 111 Japanese university students majoring in English took the LexTALE, an English to Japanese translation test, and the Vocabulary Size Test (VST). They were further asked to provide self-ratings of their English proficiency. Analysis showed that the LexTALE score correlated more strongly with the translation score and VST score than self-ratings of their proficiency. The results also showed that the LexTALE score correlated significantly with the TOEFL ITP® score, although some self-ratings resulted in a higher correlation. The findings suggest that for Japanese learners of English, LexTALE may be used as an approximate measure of English vocabulary knowledge and, to a lesser extent, general proficiency.

Keywords: LexTALE, vocabulary size test, yes/no test, lexical decision task, translation test