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Project B3 - Modifying representations by manipulations of the learning environment

PI and Ko-PI: Prof. Dr. Christina Kauschke, Prof. Dr. Kathrin Siebold, Prof. Dr. Ulrike Domahs, Dr. Anna Rosenkranz

Research Context

The overall aim of Project B3 is to investigate how linguistic representations can be modified. Can persistent non-target or challenging structures be altered through adjustments to the learning environment or by applying specific didactic methods, as commonly used in language intervention or second language teaching? Emergentist and usage-based approaches assume that changes in linguistic representations can be influenced by manipulating the learning context. This could involve enhancing the intensity or quality of linguistic input (such as input enhancement in speech and language therapy (see Kauschke 2022) or input floods and other forms of input adaptation in second language teaching (see Madlener-Charpentier 2022). These implicit methods use optimized input, enabling learners to better perceive and process target structures, ultimately leading to a reorganization of their linguistic representations. Explicit metalinguistic techniques, on the other hand, require a conscious engagement with linguistic regularities. For classroom or treatment settings, a combination of implicit and explicit methods is often recommended (Frizelle et al. 2021, Siebold 2023).

To assess whether and how stable linguistic representations can be effectively facilitated, behavioral experiments and observations will be conducted with learners of German (as a first, second, or foreign language) at various ages and levels of proficiency. The investigations will systematically vary parameters such as input quality and intensity, techniques of input adaptation, frequency of target forms, and contextual factors. Additionally, the influence of learner-specific factors, including different competence levels or presence of developmental language disorders, and the role of the target structure itself will be considered.

Potential topics for PhD projects:

• The impact of input enhancement on symptoms of speech sound disorders: Investigating the modifiability of pathological word form representations through phonological stimulation.
• Comparing the effectiveness of implicit and explicit intervention techniques across various learning conditions and contexts, such as foreign language teaching and speech and language therapy.
• Assessing the effectiveness of targeted input adaptation and enhancement in the gradual development and acquisition of challenging morphological and syntactic structures (e.g., word order, complex noun phrases, case marking), with consideration of individual factors such as age, multilingualism, and level of linguistic competence.

References

Frizelle, P., Tolonen, A. K., Tulip, J., Murphy, C. A., Saldana, D., & McKean, C. (2021). The Influence of Quantitative Intervention Dosage on Oral Language Outcomes for Children With Developmental Language Disorder: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis. Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools, 52(2), 738–754. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_LSHSS-20-00058

Kauschke, C. (2022). Inputspezifizierung und Bewusstmachung als Methoden sprachtherapeutischer Intervention. In Madlener-Charpentier, K. & Pagonis, G. (Hrsg.). Aufmerksamkeitslenkung und Bewusstmachung in der Sprachvermittlung. Kognitive und didaktische Perspektiven auf Deutsch als Erst-, Zweit- und Fremdsprache. Tübingen: Narr Francke Attempto. 101-127.

Madlener-Charpentier, Karin (2022). Implizites und explizites inzidentelles Lernen aus Inputfluten: Optionen der Aufmerksamkeitslenkung durch Inputstrukturierung. In K. Madlener-Charpentier & G. Pagonis (Hrsg.), Aufmerksamkeitslenkung und Bewusstmachung in der Sprachvermittlung. Kognitive und didaktische Perspektiven auf Deutsch als Erst-, Zweit- und Fremdsprache. Tübingen: Narr Francke Attempto, 67-98.

Siebold, K. (2023): Erwerbsförderlicher Sprachgebrauch von Lehrpersonen im Fremd- und Zweitsprachenunterricht. In: Burwitz-Melzer, E., Riemer, C., Schmelter, L. (Hrsg.), Berufsbezogene Sprache der Lehrenden im Fremd- und Zweitsprachenunterricht. Arbeitspapiere der 43. Frühjahrskonferenz zur Erforschung des Fremdsprachenunterrichts. Tübingen: Narr Francke Attempto, 196-207.