To What Extent Computer-Based Learning can Replace English Teachers: A View from Cognitive Neuroscience

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25580133
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Miyagi Gakuin Women's University
• Principal Investigator: YUSA NORIAKI 宮城学院女子大学, 学芸学部, 教授 (40182670)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KIM Jungho 東北大学, 文学研究科, 専門研究員 (70513852)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: パソコン / 脳科学 / fMRI / 社会性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study examined (1) the effects of social interaction during second language (L2) acquisition on the brain by comparing differences between computer-based learning and learning through the interaction with a human being, and (2) the effects of explicit instruction on the development of second language knowledge.
We have two results from this study; (1) the neuroimaging data show that a human being's presence in learning L2 syntax significantly caused changes in the brain but computer-based learning did not. This suggests that in addition to early speech learning (Kuhl 2007), social interaction is crucial in order for L2 learners to come to rely on native-like neural mechanisms in processing syntax; (2) the quantity and quality of explicit instruction matter in the development of second language knowledge of English articles, suggesting that just the presence of a human being is not sufficient for the development of complicated knowledge of L2 knowledge.

Free Research Field

言語学