Here, we set out to comprehensively address these issues and investigate
automaticity in neural memory trace build-up for words, its dependence
on the presence of native speech phonology, and its linkage with
behavioural learning performance, using a more natural stimulation regime
with multiple spoken tokens. This was achieved by the use of an
acoustically controlled set of novel word-forms (so-called “pseudowords”)
with native phonology and those incorporating non-native
speech sounds. Electrophysiological recordings during passive and attentive
listening as well as memory recall tasks were conducted to determine
the effects of attention and previous phonological exposure on rapid
learning. We used the established phenomenon of an increased early
brain response to familiar or recently learnt word-forms as opposed to unfamiliar
ones (MacGregor et al., 2012) in order to track online memorytrace
development to these different acoustically and phonologically balanced
items, while manipulating attention levels on the stimulus stream.