# Mental Workload and Language Production in Non-Native Speaker IPA Interaction

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2006.06331 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.06331/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 11 Jun 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [Bilingual by default: Voice Assistants and the role of code-switching in creating a bilingual user experience](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2206.09765/) (2022)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Through proliferation on smartphones and smart speakers, intelligent personal assistants (IPAs) have made speech a common interaction modality. Yet, due to linguistic coverage and varying levels of functionality, many speakers engage with IPAs using a non-native language. This may impact the mental workload and pattern of language production displayed by non-native speakers. We present a mixed-design experiment, wherein native (L1) and non-native (L2) English speakers completed tasks with IPAs through smartphones and smart speakers. We found significantly higher mental workload for L2 speakers during IPA interactions. Contrary to our hypotheses, we found no significant differences between L1 and L2 speakers in terms of number of turns, lexical complexity, diversity, or lexical adaptation when encountering errors. These findings are discussed in relation to language production and processing load increases for L2 speakers in IPA interaction.