This research investigates how extraneous cognitive load affects the types of speech errors made by Chinese EFL learners. Producing language under cognitive load is a multifaceted process, with varying levels of cognitive load potentially impacting learners' performance, particularly regarding the types and distribution of errors. The goal of this study is to identify the types of speech errors that occur under different cognitive load conditions and to examine how these loads influence error frequency. The study involved 30 participants, aged 20 to 32, who completed a picture description task under three levels of cognitive load (no load, low load, and high load) after performing a digit memory task to induce cognitive load. The data was analyzed to compare error types across the different load conditions. The results revealed that as cognitive load increased, the error rate also increased. The most common errors were filled and silent pauses, suggesting that cognitive strain makes learners more prone to fluency issues during speech. Furthermore, the occurrence of these errors varied across load conditions, emphasizing the impact of cognitive load on language organisation and expression.
A Wed, study studied this question.