Abstract
This study explores the relationship between electroencephalogram (EEG)-detected attention spikes and linguistic stimuli, particularly in English as a Second Language (L2) for native Spanish speakers. We investigate how linguistic input affects brain activity and how this is interpreted as specific emotions (pleasant or unpleasant). To examine this, we analyzed EEG responses from subjects watching short English videos with varying emotional content and lexical complexity. The videos were selected based on their emotional intensity (ranging from neutral to highly emotional) and lexical features (high- vs. low-frequency words). They were categorized into short clips (a few seconds) and longer segments (one to two minutes) to assess consistency in emotional and cognitive responses. Our approach minimizes the influence of non-linguistic audiovisual elements, ensuring a focus on language. Using a specialized EEG preprocessing application, we extracted key features from the brain signals of 10 young adult university students (aged 20-30, without neurodivergence) who also completed questionnaires about their emotional and attentional experiences. The findings reveal a direct correlation between attention levels and sudden shifts in discourse dynamics, particularly with discursive markers linked to emotional arousal and speech pauses. Additionally, EEG signals varied with the difficulty of discourse comprehension, particularly with low-frequency words and complex content. These results, framed within arousal theory, highlight the impact of language on emotional response, contributing to our understanding of the interaction between linguistic input and emotional processing.
Presenters
Rosa Munoz-LunaAssociate Professor, English, French and German, University of Malaga, Málaga, Spain
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
EEG, Attention, English, Second Language, Communication
