How variability in language experience modulates multilingual listening effort
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21697628 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Dana Bsharat-Maalouf (0000-0002-6561-3364, University of Haifa), Tamar Degani (0000-0003-2604-8523, University of Haifa), Hanin Karawani (0000-0003-1346-8502, University of Haifa, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 501-515 |
| Publication date | 2026-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Bilingualism Language and Cognition (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1366-7289 • E-ISSN: 1469-1841 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s1366728925100254 |
| OpenAlex | W4411573191 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 106 |
Multilinguals face greater challenges than monolinguals in speech perception tasks, such as processing noisy sentences. Factors related to multilinguals’ language experience, such as age of acquisition, proficiency, exposure and usage, influence their perceptual performance. However, how language experience variability modulates multilinguals’ listening effort remains unclear. We analyzed data from 92 multilinguals who completed a listening task with words and sentences, presented in quiet and noise across participants’ spoken languages (Arabic, Hebrew and English). Listening effort was assessed using pupillometry. The results indicated higher accuracy and reduced effort in quiet than in noise, with greater language experience predicting better accuracy and reduced effort. These effects varied by stimulus and listening condition. For single words, greater language experience most strongly reduced effort in noise; for sentences, it had a more pronounced effect in quiet, especially for high-predictability sentences. These findings emphasize the importance of considering language experience variability when evaluating multilingual effort
Active listening · Cognitive psychology · Linguistics · Communication · Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation · Multisensory perception and integration · Phonetics and Phonology Research · Psychology
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| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |