Zaliczenie SCALE Cerebral imaging and individual differences in language learning
- 1. Language Acquisition Across Linguistic and Cognitive Systems Cerebral imaging and individual differences in language learning Christophe Pallier
- 2. Aim of the studies Explore the cerebral correlates of performance in second language. Are there anatomical and/or functional differences between the brains of bilinguals and monolinguals? Do the individual differences in the ability to learn a second language correlate with brain differences? Roles of factors such as age of acquisition of the second language and level of proficiency.
- 3. First experiments with brain imaging Goal: to establish whether the two languages of a bilingual recruit the same brain areas or, instead, some language specific areas as suggested by evidence from brain stimulation (Ojemann & Whitaker 1978). Research method: Use of positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in order to compare patterns of cerebral activation associated with the processing of the first (L1) and second (L2) languages as bilingual individuals accomplished various language related tasks. (reading, writing, translating etc.)
- 4. First experiments with brain imaging Results: The majority of studies described very similar activations for both languages (Pallier & Argenti (2003) and Perani & Abutalebi (2005)). A few studies have described partially distinct activation patterns for L1 and L2, particularly when participants had an intermediate level in L2 (Dehaene, Dupoux,Mehler, Cohen, Paulesu, Perani, van Moortele, Léhericy & LeBihan 1997) and/or had learned it after childhood (Kim, Relkin, Lee & Hirsch 1997).
- 5. First experiments with brain imaging Based on these results a hypothesis suggesting, that the cortical representation of L2 may progressively overlap with those used by L1 as the learning of L2 progresses, was formulated and tested by Golestani, Alario, Meriaux, LeBihan, Dehaene & Pallier (2006). Research method: Scanning (fMRI) native French participants who had an intermediate proficiency level in English. While being scanned, the participants had to perform various tasks in L2. Cerebral activation maximum and spatial distance between activation peaks in left inferior frontal gyrus and Broca’s area has been determined. A significant correlation between individual scores on the TOEFL test and the distance between activation maxima in English and French: the subjects with the highest scores had the closest maxima. However, longitudinal studies were required to definitely prove the hypothesis.
- 6. Longitudinal studies The study was performed by Stein et al. (2009). Research method: Foreign exchange students were scanned at two time points, 1 and 5 months after their arrival. The task they had to carry out was word reading in L1 and L2. Results: In the first scanning session, L2 words elicited stronger activations than L1 words in frontal regions and that this difference is largely reduced on the second session. This result likely reflects a diminution of frontal control as L2 word identification is becoming more automatized (Hernandez, Li & MacWhinney 2005).
- 7. Differences in bilinuals' L2 mastery In the next study (Chee, Soon, Lee & Pallier 2004) the participants (bilinguals born in Singapore) had probably reached their maximum level of proficiency in two languages: English and Mandarin Chinese. Even though they had grown up in the same biligual environment, they differed in their mastery of the L2. Hypothesis: Difference in phonological working memory could partly explain the different ultimate proficiencies between the two groups. Research method: Scanning participants who were listening to a series of French words (a language none of the participants knew) in which they had to detect repeated items. Results: The patterns of cerebral activations of the two groups differed. The group of high L2-proficiency relied relatively more on the regions of the insula and left inferior frontal gyrus, part of the network involved in phonological working memory, while the less proficient manifested stronger activations in medial frontal areas.
- 8. Brain characteristics and SLA Goal: To establish whether anatomical characteristics can explain a greater or lesser ability to acquire a second language? Research method: Trained French volunteers to distinguish between dental and retroflex consonants in Hindi and divided them into two groups depending on how quickly they learned. Each subject was then measured for the volumes of the left and right Heschl gyri. Results: On average, those subjects with the greatest ability to distinguish the Hindi syllables had a more voluminous left auditory cortex than those who had more difficulties. The volume of white matter differed significantly between the groups, potentially reflecting a greater number or higher myelinisation of the fibres of the auditory cortex in the group of fast learners versus the group of slow learners. (Golestani, Molko, Dehaene, LeBihan & Pallier 2007 and Golestani & Pallier 2007).
- 9. Brain characteristics and SLA Alike results were reported by Wong et al. (2008), where English speakers with bigger HG volume on the left were more successfull in distinguishing words based on pitches. These data confirm that primary auditory regions are important for spoken language learning. In another study (Golestani & Pallier (2007)) the ability to pronounce foreign sounds was assessed. Research method: The subjects were required to produce uvular Farsi consonant in different phonetic contexts. Two Farsi speakers evaluated the quality of their pronunciation. Scores thus obtained were correlated with individual probability images of white or grey matter using the voxel- based morphometry technique. Results: The accuracy of the pronunciation correlated positively with white matter density in two areas associated to phonological memory and articulation (the inferior parietal cortex and the insula).
- 10. Conclusions The studies demonstrate the existence of functional and anatomical cerebral correlates of abilities involved in second language acquisition. As studies suggest, even in adults, intensive training can induce cortical modifications which can be detected at a macroscopic level (Draganski, Gaser, Busch, Schuierer, Bogdahn & May 2004; Maguireet al. 2000)(Mechelli et al. 2004; Lee et al. 2007) One’s own brain anatomy should not be an excuse to avoid learning languages. It is never too late to learn a foreign languages (Hakuta, Bialystok & Wiley 2003).
- 11. Prezentacja zaliczeniowa SCALE Mateusz Stebnicki II rok sinologii UAM Poznań 2012