This fMRI study investigated the brain networks involved in comprehending stories in subjects' first language (L1) and second language (L2). The following was found:
1) When listening to stories in L1, all subjects showed consistent activation of the left temporal lobe along the superior temporal sulcus, as well as neighboring regions.
2) When listening to stories in L2, subjects showed highly variable activation patterns, with some showing left temporal activation, others right temporal activation, and others both.
3) Overall, listening to L1 recruited a dedicated and consistent left-hemispheric network, while the network for L2 comprehension was more variable between subjects and sometimes included right hemisphere regions.