This Seminário CLUL is on October 16th, monday, from 5pm to 6:30 pm, in room B112.B 

Vita Kogan (LabFon)

Título: Individual differences in the same native language and their effects on the acquisition of a second language.

Resumo: Acquiring a new language (L2) in adulthood poses numerous challenges, and one of the most prominent among them is mastering a new sound system. Previous research has demonstrated that one's native language (L1) can significantly interfere with the accurate processing and acquisition of novel sounds, often resulting in accented L2 speech production. Moreover, various individual differences, such as phonological short-term memory, acoustic or auditory memory, inhibition control, musical aptitude, and others, exert a profound influence on learning outcomes.

Recently, attention has turned toward the examination of sound representations within the same L1, particularly regarding factors like phonetic category compactness (or variability/dispersion) within the psychoacoustic space. While these differences may appear subtle, they play a pivotal role when acquiring a new language. During this presentation, I will introduce several studies that delve into the exploration of individual differences in category compactness and their impact on L2 speech perception. Furthermore, I will discuss the implications of these findings and outline potential avenues for future research in this area.