Gesture-Speech Integrative Semantic Congruency Effects in a Stroop-Like Task Among Chinese Advanced Bilinguals

• In Event: Language-Embodied Integrative Facilitation Effect in Bilingualism: Behavioral, Developmental, and Neurophysiological Studies

Abstract

1. Objectives or Purposes
Previous research has demonstrated a link between language and action in the brain. The present study investigates the strength of this neural relationship by focusing on a potential inteface between two systems: cospeech gesture among Chinese advanced bilinguals in order to show this optimal native-like L2 mechanism among this unique population.
2. Perspective or Theoretical Framework
The study centered on the theme of the integration of gesture and speech among adult Chinese-English bilinguals. Previous study has not fully established the fact that gesture and speech are truly integrated during language comprehension (Krauss, 1998). Recent researchers have turned to techniques in cognitive neuroscience to better understand the reationship between this integration in language comprehension among native English speakers (Kelly, Creigh, & Bartolotti, 2010; 2015). However, to achieve the optimal native-like L2 learning among biingauls, one way to address this integrative effect among bilinguals is to determine whether bilinguals cannot help but integrate gesture and speech.
3. Methods, Techniques or Mode of inquiry
Thirty advanced college Chinese-English bilinguals performed a Stroop-like task in which they watched either video or audio of a man and a woman speaking and gesturing about common actions. The semantic meaning conveyed by the presented written form of the words and the subsequent conceptual meaning of the gesture or audio was diferent. The videos and audios differed as to whether the geader of the speaker and semantic consistency of both written form or audio/movie meaning was congruent or incongruent. The task was to identify whether the speaker was a man or a woman producing the spoken protion of the audio or video of the action.

4. Data sources, evidence, objects, or Materials
Accuracy rates, RTs and ERPs were recorded to the stimulus.

5. Results and/or Conclusions or Warrants for Arguments/Point of View
Although not relevant to the task, participants paid attention to the semantic relationship between the speech and the audio/vedio, procuding larger N400 to words accompanied by incongruent versus congruent gesture-speech stimuli, but this effect was greater when the gender of the gesturer and speakers was the same versus different. These results suggest that the integration of gesture and speech during language comprehesion is automatic also under some degree of neurocognitive control among Chinese-English advanced bilinguals.
6. Scientific Scholarly Significance of the Study
We found a synergistic mechanism among Chinese native speakers and Chinese-English advanced bilinguals in automatic activating the co-speech gesture. This natural innate native-like L2 mechanism exist in this speech-gesture integration, which reveals a crucial and significant scientific merits and contributions to why this perception-action coexistence in language comprehension and advanced learning proceses.

Authors

• Baoan Zhang

• Richard OConnor, University of Hull

• Henning Holle, University of Hull

• Qun Guan, Beijing Language and Culture University