Statistical learning, that is, our ability to track and learn from distributional information in the environment, plays a fundamental role in language acquisition, yet little research has investigated this process in older language learners. In the present study, we address this gap by comparing the cross-situational learning of foreign words in younger and older adults. We also tested whether learning was affected by previous experience with multiple languages. We found that both age groups successfully learned the novel words after a short exposure period, confirming that statistical learning ability is preserved in late adulthood. However, the two groups differed in their learning trajectories, with the younger group outperforming the older group during the later stages of learning. Previous language experience did not predict learning outcomes. Given that implicit language learning mechanisms are shown to be preserved over the lifespan, the present data provide crucial support for the assumptions underlying claims that language learning interventions in older age could be leveraged as a targeted intervention to help build or maintain resilience to age-related cognitive decline.

中文翻译：

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年轻人和老年人外语单词的统计学习


统计学习，即我们跟踪和学习环境中分布信息的能力，在语言习得中起着重要作用，但很少有研究调查老年语言学习者的这一过程。在本研究中，我们通过比较年轻人和老年人对外语词的跨情境学习来解决这一差距。我们还测试了学习是否受到以前使用多种语言的经验的影响。我们发现，两个年龄组在短暂的接触期后都成功地学习了新词，证实了统计学习能力在成年后期得以保留。然而，两组的学习轨迹不同，年轻组在学习后期的表现优于年长组。以前的语言经验并不能预测学习结果。鉴于内隐语言学习机制被证明在生命周期中被保留下来，目前的数据为声称老年人的语言学习干预可以作为有针对性的干预来帮助建立或保持对与年龄相关的认知能力下降的复原力的假设提供了关键支持。