A dual-systems account of word learning

old_uid8117
titleA dual-systems account of word learning
start_date2010/02/09
schedule16h30
onlineno
location_infobât. BSHM, 1er étage, salle D28
summaryIn this talk I will explore the possibility that learning a word involves several stages that can be discriminated on the basis of function and duration. Many aspects of acquiring a new word, such as becoming familiar with its sound or meaning, are effectively immediate. However, some more subtle aspects of word learning appear to be slower. Spoken word recognition involves a parallel process of competition between multiple lexical candidates, and the ability to take part in this competition can be thought of as the defining characteristic of a lexical representation. I will present some behavioural, neuroimaging and polysomnography studies suggesting that this engagement in competition does not occur immediately, and is instead associated with sleep. I will also discuss the possibility that this temporal dissociation in word learning can be related to existing general models of memory formation (e.g., McClelland, McNaughton & O'Reilly, 1995).
responsiblesKandel