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        <title>Frontiers in Language Sciences | Language Processing section | New and Recent Articles</title>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/language-sciences/sections/language-processing</link>
        <description>RSS Feed for Language Processing section in the Frontiers in Language Sciences journal | New and Recent Articles</description>
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        <pubDate>2026-04-05T19:21:38.132+00:00</pubDate>
        <ttl>60</ttl>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2026.1774197</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2026.1774197</link>
        <title><![CDATA[The effect of aging on the semantic processing of overt and covert Chinese face action verbs]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-02-19T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Meng Jiang</author><author>Ya Tan</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionThe resilience of language, particularly lexicosemantic processing, to age-related cognitive decline remains a subject of debate.MethodThis study investigated this issue by examining how healthy aging affects the processing of Chinese facial action verbs distinguished by effector explicitness—overt verbs (e.g., “睁眼” [open one's eyes]) versus covert verbs (e.g., “观星” [gaze at the stars]).Results and discussionIn a semantic categorization task, older adults exhibited significantly slower response times than younger adults overall, indicating a generalized age-related slowing in semantic access. While a numerical trend suggested that older adults might benefit more from the explicit cues in overt verbs, the critical Age Group × Verb Type interaction was not statistically significant. Thus, the efficiency advantage conferred by explicit effector representation remained stable across age. These findings confirm that semantic processing is not immune to the general slowing observed in aging, yet the fundamental architecture of semantic representation—specifically, the relative ease of processing lexically specified effectors—appears to be preserved.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2026.1625397</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2026.1625397</link>
        <title><![CDATA[On semantic agreement]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-02-16T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Isabelle Charnavel</author><author>Dominique Sportiche</author>
        <description><![CDATA[We discuss semantic agreement, cases in which agreement between a head and a DP seems to drive, or be driven by, interpretive properties of this DP rather than its syntactic properties. This discussion centers mostly on the case of subject/verb number and person agreement (but its conclusions would extend to other cases of agreement between a head and a DP). In such a configuration, semantic agreement occurs in cases in which the feature values on T do not seem to match the feature values of its DP subject. More specifically, we conclude that features on agreeing heads can and sometimes must be semantically interpretable. In such cases, the values of the features on T can target the denotational properties of its DP subject, instead of its phi (ϕ)-feature (values): they can or must trigger a presupposition about this DP subject's denotation.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2026.1657112</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2026.1657112</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Number maintenance in subject-verb agreement: evidence from Basque]]></title>
        <pubdate>2026-02-12T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Brief Research Report</category>
        <author>Bojana Ristic</author><author>Nicola Molinaro</author><author>Simona Mancini</author>
        <description><![CDATA[In this paper, we investigate whether number is actively maintained as part of matrix subject-verb dependency establishment, and whether it is active enough to be used to resolve temporary number ambiguity of an interpolated noun. In a visual world paradigm, we tested whether number-ambiguous Basque nouns within embedded relative clauses can be disambiguated by the number of the matrix subject-verb dependency actively maintained over them. We manipulated the number of the matrix subject (singular/plural), and measured the proportion of looks toward singular/plural images in the moment when the number-ambiguous noun is heard (and still not disambiguated). The analysis showed that the proportion of looks followed the matrix subject number, as the plural bias increases significantly in the plural matrix subject condition, implying active maintenance of the number feature. These findings add to the literature on the content of the maintained representation in subject-verb dependency establishment, showing that number information is actively maintained, and they don't align with cue-based sentence comprehension models that presume matrix verb maintenance in an inactive, out-of-focus state. We also demonstrate that the parser uses available morphosyntactic information of items kept active in working memory in order to resolve temporary ambiguity.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1668351</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1668351</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Monosyllabic focus verbs disrupt reading fluency in Mandarin: evidence from eye-tracking]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-11-28T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Meiyuan Zhang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Focus is a core component of information structure that highlights the most prominent element in a sentence. While pitch and duration are well-established prosodic markers of focus in Mandarin Chinese, the role of word length has received less attention. Due to historical developments, many Mandarin words exhibit elastic length, appearing in both monosyllabic and disyllabic forms. In modern Chinese, however, there is a strong prosodic preference for disyllabic words as the minimal prosodic unit. This study tested whether using monosyllabic verbs in focus position disrupts reading fluency due to prosodic mismatch. Thirty-seven native Mandarin speakers read sentences silently while their eye movements were recorded. The study employed a 2 × 2 factorial design that crossed focus status (focus vs. no focus) with word length (monosyllabic vs. disyllabic). Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze gaze duration, first fixation duration, first pass duration, regression path duration, regression count, fixation count, and skipping probability. The results show that monosyllabic verbs in focus positions attracted longer gaze durations, more fixations, and more regressions than disyllabic verbs, indicating a processing cost linked to prosodic mismatch. These findings reveal how prosodic and information-structural cues jointly guide real-time reading and confirm the processing advantage of disyllabic verbs in focus contexts.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1625213</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1625213</link>
        <title><![CDATA[What drives response time and accuracy in image naming? Moderators in the relationship between number of phonological neighbors and image naming performance]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-10-29T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Naomi Hashimoto</author><author>Sabine Heuer</author><author>Chi C. Cho</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Insights into phonological activation patterns during lexical retrieval have been gained from simple image naming and picture word interference paradigm (PWIP) studies. Simple image naming studies allow for the manipulation of phonological variables, such as the number of phonological neighbors (NPN). PWIP studies allow for the manipulation of the relationship between a target and distractor, considering the effects of lexical co-activation. PWIP studies have reported a phonological facilitation effect when phonologically related stimuli are introduced during certain time-frames. We conducted a series of experiments in young, neurotypical adults using images that were validated across a number of measures known to affect naming performance. A simple image naming experiment (Experiment 1) was followed by two PWIP experiments, where the SOAs were set at +300 ms (Experiment 2) and +150 ms (Experiment 3) and images were paired with phonologically related or unrelated distractors. Across all experiments, we found that NPN was modulated by other variables such as age-of-acquisition, and image familiarity. While a main effect of distractor type was obtained for the PWIP experiments, there was no interaction between NPN and distractor type. The findings highlight the complex nature of NPN, and the subtle influences that NPN has on picture naming process.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1632675</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1632675</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Alternative agreement in Danish—mismatch without intervention]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-10-13T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Brief Research Report</category>
        <author>Ken Ramshøj Christensen</author><author>Anne Mette Nyvad</author>
        <description><![CDATA[This study investigates “alternative agreement” in Danish, where predicative adjectives sometimes agree with the object of a preposition (P-Obj) rather than the subject. Unlike English “mismatch agreement” Danish alternative agreement occurs without linear intervention between the competing elements. Three experiments examine this phenomenon: two sentence-completion tasks (with fronted vs. in-situ P-Obj) and an acceptability judgment task. Results show that alternative agreement occurs significantly more frequently with singular P-Obj than plural P-Obj, and more frequently with fronted P-Obj than in-situ P-Obj. Standard agreement is consistently rated more acceptable than alternative agreement, though fronting increases the acceptability of alternative agreement. We argue that Danish alternative agreement results from two independent factors: (1) the phonological tendency to drop inflectional endings (apocope), affecting singular and plural P-Obj differently, and (2) the cognitive preference to interpret sentence—initial nominal elements as subjects, creating processing bias favoring agreement with fronted P-Obj. Rather than reflecting a new agreement system or language change, Danish alternative agreement appears to be a systematic performance error.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1676143</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1676143</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Exploring demographic influences on L2 learners' comprehension of conversational implicatures]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-09-18T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Safiye Çiftlikli Hapci</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Maintaining effective communication is more than articulating words—it is pivotal to understanding beyond what is explicitly said. While pragmatic competence is widely recognized as a fundamental aspect of language learning and also communicative competence, limited research has been conducted to determine whether L2 learners' ability to comprehend conversational implicatures varies based on demographic factors. In this case, this study is grounded to examine whether EFL learners' comprehension of conversational implicatures differs with respect to gender, culture of origin, and academic majors. The study employed a quantitative research design and was conducted with 122 first-year university students from various academic majors at a private university in Northern Cyprus. Data were collected via a Multiple-Choice Discourse Completion Test (MCDCT), and the collected numerical data were analyzed via T-Test. The findings reveal notable differences in participants' comprehension of conversational implicatures based on culture of origin and academic majors. Specifically, students from Iran and Nigeria performed higher than those from other cultural groups, while students from the Faculty of Law achieved the highest mean score compared to other majors. By contrast, no significant difference was found between male and female learners. These results emphasize the need for developing L2 learners' comprehension of conversational implicatures in foreign language education by considering learners' demographic factors. Future studies should focus on effective instructional strategies tailored to diverse learner backgrounds to foster comprehension of conversational implicatures and maintain effective communication.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1662944</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1662944</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Agreement features in the nominal domain as classifiers: theoretical and experimental perspectives]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-09-12T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Perspective</category>
        <author>Paolo Lorusso</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Number and gender features are often assumed to differ in agreement processing, yet psycholinguistic evidence does not consistently support this distinction. This paper examines optional agreement in complex NPs (e.g., Italian Un centinaio di senatori si è dimesso / si sono dimessi, “A hundred senators has/have resigned”), where verbs may agree with either the singular head noun or the plural embedded noun. We argue that number and gender operate similarly as feature bundles, functioning like nominal classifiers. Crosslinguistic data show that optional agreement arises from nominal class valuation rather than from inherent gender/number differences. Psycholinguistic experiments further reveal that speakers' choices reflect structural prominence and processing ease, rather than morphological categorical distinctions. Our analysis unifies gender and number within a classifier-based framework, challenging traditional divisions and offering a streamlined account of agreement variability.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1632226</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1632226</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Grammatical control of sign language production: EMG and motion capture analysis of adjective intensification in Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS)]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-08-06T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Julia Krebs</author><author>Eric Harbour</author><author>Evie A. Malaia</author><author>Ronnie B. Wilbur</author><author>Hermann Schwameder</author><author>Dietmar Roehm</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionThe manuscript presents an experimental investigation into the linguistic and motor control mechanisms underlying grammatical marker production in Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS). It focuses on the cross-linguistically attested phonological parameter of hand articulator tension and its role as a grammatical marker for adjective intensification.MethodBy combining advanced methods, including motion capture and electromyography (EMG), the study allows for a multimodal analysis of grammatical marker production in ÖGS. The experimental data were recorded from six proficient ÖGS signers, each producing fifteen adjectives (based on a set varied in phonological parameters of root forms) in intensified and non-intensified forms. Motion capture data were analyzed in terms of the kinematics of hand and arm movements [velocity, acceleration, as well their temporal distribution such as time to peak deceleration and spatiotemporal index (STI)]; EMG data of muscle activation in forearm and upper-arm flexor and extensor muscles were analyzed both separately and in active combination (using mean and median band-specific EMG and co-contraction indices as measures).ResultsResults revealed significant differences between intensified and non-intensified forms, with intensified adjectives showing higher co-contraction indices in forearm and upper-arm muscles and later deceleration patterns within signs. These findings demonstrate that articulator tension is a quantifiable grammatical marker of intensification, reflected in distinct biomechanical control patterns.DiscussionThis study advances understanding of the neural and motor correlates of sign language production by operationalizing the biophysical basis of grammatical markers. It highlights the linguistic control of biomechanical articulator features, advancing models of language production. Individual variations observed in intensified adjective production suggest further avenues for research into signing styles, language proficiency, and language acquisition. In addition to its linguistic contributions, the manuscript proposes a novel methodological approach for studying variables at the intersection of linguistics, neuroscience, and kinesiology. This work offers practical applications for sign language teaching, language acquisition research, and cross-modal investigations into human language systems, contributing to a broader understanding of linguistic communication as a multimodal phenomenon.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1662707</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1662707</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Editorial: Spoken language processing in developmental dyslexia – beyond phonology]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-07-29T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Editorial</category>
        <author>Erin K. Robertson</author><author>Judith Rispens</author><author>Shelley Tong</author>
        <description></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1560932</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1560932</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Comparative constructions in Bisha Colloquial Arabic: a case study]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-07-18T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Fatema Alharthy</author>
        <description><![CDATA[IntroductionComparative constructions are a core syntactic and semantic feature across Arabic varieties, yet their dialectal realizations remain unevenly documented. Despite extensive research on Modern Standard Arabic (MSA) and major dialects, the comparative system of Bisha Colloquial Arabic (BCA)—a distinct southern Saudi dialect—has received virtually no systematic linguistic attention. This study addresses this critical gap by identifying the unique forms and functions of comparative constructions in BCA and situating them within the broader spectrum of Arabic dialectology, with reference to parallels and divergences from MSA and other regional varieties.MethodologyData were collected from undergraduate student discourse during grammar class interactions and social media content, including TikTok and X (formerly Twitter). Comparative expressions were identified, systematically extracted, and categorized into distinct structural types: simple comparatives, complex comparatives, equality comparisons, non-scalar comparisons, quantitative and qualitative comparisons, intensified comparisons, adverbial and clausal comparisons, and comparative correlatives. A qualitative analysis was conducted to describe the patterns and functions of these constructions in BCA.ResultsThe analysis revealed that BCA employs a versatile and adaptive system of comparative constructions, characterized by simplicity and pragmatic efficiency. Unlike the rigid grammatical rules of MSA, which heavily rely on the classical ʔafʕal pattern with case markings, BCA prioritizes syntactic flexibility and contextual clarity. Markers such as ʔaktar (“more”), ʔagall (“less”), and informal terms like zaay and kan (“like”) were prominent. The dialect incorporates nominal, adverbial, and clausal comparisons, enabling speakers to convey equality, difference, and intensification effectively. Expressions such as b-kathiir (“much more”) and b-milyoon marrah (“a million times”) enhance expressiveness, while correlatives like kul ma (“the more”) highlight causal and proportional relationships. These trends align with patterns observed in other Arabic dialects, such as Egyptian and Levantine Arabic, which emphasize accessibility in spoken communication.DiscussionThe findings suggest that BCA adapts traditional grammar to prioritize conversational needs, striking a balance between practicality and clarity. This research contributes to the broader understanding of Arabic dialectal variation and highlights the role of colloquial forms in meeting modern communicative demands. The results offer valuable insights for linguists, translators, and educators working with Arabic dialects.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1569448</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1569448</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Project Euphonia: advancing inclusive speech recognition through expanded data collection and evaluation]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-06-20T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Methods</category>
        <author>Alicia Martin</author><author>Robert L. MacDonald</author><author>Pan-Pan Jiang</author><author>Marilyn Ladewig</author><author>Julie Cattiau</author><author>Rus Heywood</author><author>Richard Cave</author><author>Jimmy Tobin</author><author>Philip C. Nelson</author><author>Katrin Tomanek</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Speech recognition models, predominantly trained on standard speech, often exhibit lower accuracy for individuals with accents, dialects, or speech impairments. This disparity is particularly pronounced for economically or socially marginalized communities, including those with disabilities or diverse linguistic backgrounds. Project Euphonia, a Google initiative originally launched in English dedicated to improving Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) of disordered speech, is expanding its data collection and evaluation efforts to include international languages like Spanish, Japanese, French and Hindi, in a continued effort to enhance inclusivity. This paper presents an overview of the extension of processes and methods used for English data collection to more languages and locales, progress on the collected data, and details about our model evaluation process, focusing on meaning preservation based on Generative AI.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1608928</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1608928</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Editorial: Revisiting a 150-year-old conundrum on the role of Broca's area in language processing: embracing expected and unexpected results]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-04-30T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Editorial</category>
        <author>Maria V. Ivanova</author><author>Stephanie Kathleen Riès</author><author>Anais Llorens</author>
        <description></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1556481</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1556481</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Language-specific development of noun bias beyond infancy]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-04-23T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Monami Nishio</author><author>Ayuha Koyanagi</author><author>Hiromu Yakura</author><author>Takaya Hanawa</author><author>Shoi Shi</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Speech and language delays can significantly impact a child's learning, literacy, and social development, making early detection—particularly through vocabulary monitoring—essential. One well-established phenomenon in early language acquisition is the “noun bias,” where infants acquire nouns more readily than verbs. However, the developmental trajectory of this bias beyond infancy remains unclear, especially across different languages. In this study, we analyzed spontaneous speech using AI-based voice analysis to examine vocabulary development in Japanese- and English-speaking children across a broad age range. We quantified changes in noun and verb use over time and found that noun growth plateaued earlier in English than in Japanese, resulting in a more pronounced and persistent noun bias in Japanese beyond infancy. These findings suggest that the early noun bias may gradually converge with adult-like noun-to-verb ratios, which differ substantially across languages (e.g., 23,800:7,921 in English vs. 71,460:7,886 in Japanese). This study demonstrates the utility of AI-based tools in advancing language development research and underscores their potential for clinical applications in identifying and assessing speech and language delays.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1540562</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1540562</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Home-based shared book reading and developmental outcomes in young children: a systematic review with meta-analyses]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-03-31T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Claire Galea</author><author>Alana Jones</author><author>Katherine Ko</author><author>Andrea Salins</author><author>Serje Robidoux</author><author>Clayton Noble</author><author>Genevieve McArthur</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The aim of this systematic review was to measure the strength of the relationship between home-based shared book reading and child development. We identified 46 studies (N = 56,576) that provided quantitative data on the home literacy environment and developmental outcomes for groups of 10 or more children (maximum N = 10,533) who had a mean age of <4 years, and had not commenced compulsory, formal schooling. Most studies (n = 28/46; 61%, N = 24,859) reported correlation coefficients, which were used to calculate mean effect sizes in a series of meta-analyses. The results estimated large and statistically significant relationships between home-based shared book reading and developmental outcomes [r = 0.303, 95% CI = (0.258, 0.349)], language outcomes [r = 0.381, 95% CI = (0.289, 0.474)], and vocabulary outcomes [r = 0.314, 95% CI = (0.291, 0.336)]; as well as a moderate and significant relationship between frequency of home-based shared book reading and expressive vocabulary [r = 0.259, 95% CI = (0.099, 0.419)]. These findings indicate that home-based shared book reading is positively related to various developmental outcomes, particularly spoken language skills.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1480009</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1480009</link>
        <title><![CDATA[One move but two movements: an alternative account of the middle construction]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-03-05T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Hui Dai</author><author>Heyu Wang</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The A-movement analysis of the middle construction leaves the oblique middles untouched and fails to explain the unique syntactic and semantic properties of middle clauses. Under the assumption that the tense-defective Mod (Modal) INFL heads the middle structure, we advocate a combination of A-movement and A'-movement analysis of the middle construction. Specifically, we propose that the seemingly patient/adjunct subject of a middle clause is the external argument of cause licensed by the causative verb. Also, the relevant NP-movement from spec-vP to spec-ModP (specifier of the Modal Phrase) is one move but two movements in that C might DONATE both [TOP] feature and phi-features to the tense-defective Mod. This analysis provides a package account for the syntax and semantics of middle clauses and theoretically proves the existence of a universal syntactic entity of the middle construction. Our study incorporates various Chinese middle sentences into the universal grammar framework and verifies that the middle construction is a cross-language universal syntactic entity, adding evidence to its psychological reality.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1535723</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1535723</link>
        <title><![CDATA[Optimality and correspondence theories in phonological shifts: a case study on Arabic guttural consonants in English loanwords]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-02-20T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Siham Alhaider</author>
        <description><![CDATA[The standardization of loanwords presents challenges for borrowers due to phonological adaptations, particularly with guttural speech sounds. This case study examined native English speakers' articulation of Arabic loanwords containing guttural consonants, applying optimality theory and correspondence theory to investigate phonetic and phonological constraints. The analysis revealed that participants experienced difficulty adhering to constraints in their articulation, resulting in the omission, repair, or replacement of guttural phones in Arabic loanwords. Contrary to initial assumptions, the study found that deletion and replacement mechanisms were not exclusively position-dependent but rather determined by specific guttural sounds. For example, replacement occurred with sounds such as /χ/, /q/, and /g'/, while deletion was applied to sounds like /ʕ/, /ʔ/, and /ħ/. The repair strategy, however, was observed to be position-dependent, occurring only with words containing a medial guttural. These findings contribute to the understanding of phonological adaptations in loanwords and the interrelationships among significant linguistic groups, highlighting the complex nature of guttural consonant articulation in cross-linguistic contexts.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1453230</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2025.1453230</link>
        <title><![CDATA[“Feedback is communication between human beings”: understanding adolescents' conception of written qualitative feedback]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-02-11T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Original Research</category>
        <author>Sining Tao</author><author>Wenjuan Qin</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Research on feedback in writing has predominantly focused on its effectiveness in improving surface-level linguistic accuracy, with limited attention to how students perceive and engage with written qualitative feedback as an interactive tool for writing development. This study addresses this gap by emphasizing the role of written qualitative feedback, defined as descriptive comments that address both content and linguistic element, promoting deeper engagement and critical thinking in student writing. Using an explanatory sequential mixed-methods design, the study examines the conception of written qualitative feedback held by 107 English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners in China. Over an academic semester, each learner produced three argumentative texts and received written qualitative feedback in three formats. Quantitative data from an adapted Conception of Written Feedback questionnaire reveals two predominant patterns in their conception of written qualitative feedback: (1) engaging with positive emotion and active use or (2) ignoring with defensiveness. To explore potential explanations for these patterns, a purposeful subsample of 10 learners participated in semi-structured interviews, conceptualizing the role of feedback in their writing practices. Qualitative findings indicate that learners perceive feedback along a continuum as an instructional tool, evaluative system, cognitive guide, dialogic conversation, and catalyst for personal change. By triangulating quantitative results and qualitative findings, the study demonstrates how personalized educational interaction in the form of written qualitative feedback facilitates adolescents' transition from competent language use to higher-order argumentative skills and agentic approaches to writing development. The study adds to a growing literature on adolescent writing development from the lens of interactive teaching and learning.]]></description>
      </item><item>
        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2024.1380990</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2024.1380990</link>
        <title><![CDATA[The Parallel Architecture—application and explanatory power for neurolinguistic research]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-01-28T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Review</category>
        <author>Esther Odilia Breuer</author><author>Ferdinand Christoph Binkofski</author><author>Antonello Pellicano</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Various linguistic models have been developed to systematize language processes and provide a structured framework for understanding the complex network of language production and reception. However, these models have often been developed in isolation from neurolinguistic research, which continues to provide new insights into the mental processes involved in language production and comprehension. Conversely, neurolinguists often neglect the potential benefits of incorporating contemporary linguistic models into their research, although these models could help interpret specific findings and make complex concepts more accessible to readers. This paper evaluates the utility of Jackendoff's Parallel Architecture as a generic framework for explaining language acquisition. It also explores the potential for incorporating neurolinguistic findings by mapping its components onto specific neural structures, functions, and processes within the brain. To this end, we reviewed findings from a range of neurolinguistic studies on language acquisition and tested how their results could be represented using the Parallel Architecture. Our results indicate that the framework is generally well-suited to illustrate many language processes and to explain how language systems are built. However, to increase its explanatory power, it would be beneficial to add other linguistic and non-linguistic structures, or to signal that there is the option of adding such structures (e.g., prosody or pragmatics) for explaining the processes of initiating language acquisition or non-typical language acquisition. It is also possible to focus on fewer structures to show very specific interactions or zoom in on chosen structures and substructures to outline processes in more detail. Since the Parallel Architecture is a framework of linguistic structures for modeling language processes rather than a model of specific linguistic processes per se, it is open to new connections and elements, and therefore open to adaptations and extensions as indicated by new findings in neuro- or psycholinguistics.]]></description>
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        <guid isPermaLink="true">https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2024.1462269</guid>
        <link>https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/flang.2024.1462269</link>
        <title><![CDATA[The lexical boost effect is stronger in main clauses than in subordinate clauses]]></title>
        <pubdate>2025-01-10T00:00:00Z</pubdate>
        <category>Brief Research Report</category>
        <author>Rianne van Lieburg</author><author>Sarah Bernolet</author>
        <description><![CDATA[Structural priming effects are stronger if there is lexical overlap between prime and target, the so-called lexical boost effect to structural priming. While abstract structural priming is long-lasting and seems to reflect implicit learning, the lexical boost effect decays quickly and might be induced by residual activation or explicit memory. A recent study only found a lexical boost effect in ditransitive structures in subordinate clauses when the head verb in the subordinate clause rather than the matrix head verb was repeated between prime and target. We report an experiment in which the lexical boost effect is weaker in subordinate clauses than in main clauses when repeating the head verb. Our findings suggest that the lexical boost effect caused by repeating head verbs can be disrupted due to an increased amount of interfering material.]]></description>
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