Recall of Own Speech Following Interaction With L2 Speakers: Is There Evidence for Fuzzier Representations?

The aim of this study was to test claims that speakers a first language (L1) incur cognitive and linguistic processing costs when interacting with second (L2) speakers. This is thought be due the extra effort required for mapping incoming L2 speech signals onto stored phonological, lexical semantic representations. Recent work suggests these may lead poorer memory not only speech, but one's own produced during an interaction speaker. Little known about whether also moderated by working (WM) capacity and/or interlocutor's proficiency. In partial replication Lev-Ari et al., 54 healthy L1 English participants performed WM then read story answered inference questions it from confederate in one three conditions: either a) fellow speaker; b) Chinese speaker advanced proficiency or c) intermediate Following distractor task, were asked recall their answers surprise response-recognition questionnaire. Participants recognized responses more accurately after compared correlated higher accuracy speaker, lower These results suggest effortful input fuzzier representations speech. However, lack significance between condition other factors at play. Qualitative analyses conversations provided insights into strategies individuals adopt reduce load achieve successful communication.