Second language acquisition and its effect on cerebral blood flow: a study of English native speakers learning French
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Second language acquisition and its effect on cerebral blood flow: a study of English native speakers learning French
| Title: | Second language acquisition and its effect on cerebral blood flow: a study of English native speakers learning French |
| Author: | Risner, Jacob Mason |
| Abstract: |
Second language acquisition (SLA) is becoming a more important field of study in today’s society. Many factors seem to be involved in SLA. The current study looked at a biological aspect of SLA. 19 English natives, divided into three French competency groups, read 3 passages, 1 English and 2 French, while there cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measure by a transcranial doppler. It was found that there was a significant difference in CBF between the right and left hemisphere and in CBF between the two of the experimental groups, with more proficient groups having higher CBF. Realizing that language is a complex system which is predominantly processed in the left hemisphere, the results make sense. Future research could have more differentiated proficiency groups and more participants, which would allow researchers to accurately study the connection between SLA and CBF. L’acquisition d’une seconde langue (ASL) est en train de deviner un domaine d’étude plus important dans le monde aujourd’hui. Plusieurs facteurs semblent être inclus dans le processus de l’ASL. La présente étude considère un aspect biologique de l’ASL. Dix-neuf Anglophones, divisés en trois groupes de compétence en français, ont lu trois lectures, un en anglais et deux en français. Pendant cela, leur débit sanguin cérébral (DSC) a été mesuré par un döppler transcrânien. On a trouvé qu’il y avait une différence signifiante en ce qui concerne le DSC entre les hémisphères gauche et droit et entre les groupes expérimentaux : les plus compétents ont un DSC plus haut. Sachant que le langage est un système complexe qui est traité principalement dans l’hémisphère gauche, ces résultats sont logiques. La recherche à l’avenir aurait des groupes de compétences plus distingués et plusieurs participants, qui permettraient aux chercheurs d’étudier plus précisément la relation entre l’ASL et le DSC. |
| Description: | A Senior Capstone Experience thesis submitted to the Washington College Department of
Psychology and Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures in partial fulfillment of the
Bachelor of Science degree requirements. Text in English and French |
| URI: | http://hdl.handle.net/10090/3592 |
| Date: | 2008-01-09 |
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| Files | Size | Format | View | |
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| Risner_PSY&FRS copy.pdf | 1.327Mb |
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