Open AccessCross‐linguistic influence of first language writing systems on brain responses to second language word reading in late bilinguals
Author(s) -
Yokoyama Satoru,
Kim Jungho,
Uchida Shinya,
Miyamoto Tadao,
Yoshimoto Kei,
Kawashima Ryuta
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
brain and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 41
ISSN - 2162-3279
DOI - 10.1002/brb3.153
Subject(s) - kana , orthography , linguistics , reading (process) , psychology , written language , hangul , functional magnetic resonance imaging , psycholinguistics , writing system , cognition , kanji , neuroscience , chinese characters , philosophy
How human brains acquire second languages (L2) is one of the fundamental questions in neuroscience and language science. However, it is unclear whether the first language (L1) has a cross‐linguistic influence on the processing of L2. Methods Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare brain activities during L2 word reading tasks of phonographic J apanese Kana between two groups of learners of the J apanese language as their L2 and who had different orthographic backgrounds of their L1. For C hinese learners, a L1 of the C hinese language (Hanji) and a L2 of the J apanese Kana differed orthographically, whereas for K orean learners, a L1 of K orean Hangul and a L2 of J apanese Kana were similar. Results Our analysis revealed that, although proficiency and the age of acquisition did not differ between the two groups, C hinese learners showed greater activation of the left middle frontal gyrus than K orean learners during L2 word reading. Conclusion Our results provide evidence that strongly supported the hypothesis that cross‐linguistic variations in orthography between L1 and L2 induce differential brain activation during L2 word reading, which has been proposed previously.