Enhanced activations in syntax-related regions for multilinguals while acquiring a new language

Abstract The neuroscientific foundation of multilingualism, a unique cognitive capacity, necessitates further elucidation. We conducted an fMRI experiment to evaluate the acquisition of syntactic features in a new language (Kazakh) for multilinguals and bilinguals. Results showed that the multilingu...

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Autores principales:	Keita Umejima, Suzanne Flynn, Kuniyoshi L. Sakai
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/01a4fa280faf49b9b5503fbfd116470a
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:01a4fa280faf49b9b5503fbfd116470a2021-12-02T14:23:23ZEnhanced activations in syntax-related regions for multilinguals while acquiring a new language10.1038/s41598-021-86710-42045-2322https://doaj.org/article/01a4fa280faf49b9b5503fbfd116470a2021-03-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86710-4https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract The neuroscientific foundation of multilingualism, a unique cognitive capacity, necessitates further elucidation. We conducted an fMRI experiment to evaluate the acquisition of syntactic features in a new language (Kazakh) for multilinguals and bilinguals. Results showed that the multilinguals who were more proficient in their second/third languages needed fewer task trials to acquire Kazakh phonology. Regarding group differences, the reduction in response times during the initial exposure to Kazakh were significantly larger for the multilinguals than the bilinguals. For the multilinguals, activations in the bilateral frontal/temporal regions were maintained at a higher level than the initial level during subsequent new grammar conditions. For the bilinguals, activations in the basal ganglia/thalamus and cerebellum decreased to the initial level each time. Direct group comparisons showed significantly enhanced activations for the multilinguals in the left ventral inferior frontal gyrus. These results indicate that both syntax-related and domain-general brain networks were more enhanced for the multilinguals. We also unexpectedly observed significant activations in the visual areas for the multilinguals, implying the use of visual representation even when listening to speech sounds alone. Because the multilinguals were able to successfully utilize acquired knowledge in an accumulated manner, the results support the cumulative-enhancement model of language acquisition.Keita UmejimaSuzanne FlynnKuniyoshi L. SakaiNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Keita Umejima Suzanne Flynn Kuniyoshi L. Sakai Enhanced activations in syntax-related regions for multilinguals while acquiring a new language
description	Abstract The neuroscientific foundation of multilingualism, a unique cognitive capacity, necessitates further elucidation. We conducted an fMRI experiment to evaluate the acquisition of syntactic features in a new language (Kazakh) for multilinguals and bilinguals. Results showed that the multilinguals who were more proficient in their second/third languages needed fewer task trials to acquire Kazakh phonology. Regarding group differences, the reduction in response times during the initial exposure to Kazakh were significantly larger for the multilinguals than the bilinguals. For the multilinguals, activations in the bilateral frontal/temporal regions were maintained at a higher level than the initial level during subsequent new grammar conditions. For the bilinguals, activations in the basal ganglia/thalamus and cerebellum decreased to the initial level each time. Direct group comparisons showed significantly enhanced activations for the multilinguals in the left ventral inferior frontal gyrus. These results indicate that both syntax-related and domain-general brain networks were more enhanced for the multilinguals. We also unexpectedly observed significant activations in the visual areas for the multilinguals, implying the use of visual representation even when listening to speech sounds alone. Because the multilinguals were able to successfully utilize acquired knowledge in an accumulated manner, the results support the cumulative-enhancement model of language acquisition.
format	article
author	Keita Umejima Suzanne Flynn Kuniyoshi L. Sakai
author_facet	Keita Umejima Suzanne Flynn Kuniyoshi L. Sakai
author_sort	Keita Umejima
title	Enhanced activations in syntax-related regions for multilinguals while acquiring a new language
title_short	Enhanced activations in syntax-related regions for multilinguals while acquiring a new language
title_full	Enhanced activations in syntax-related regions for multilinguals while acquiring a new language
title_fullStr	Enhanced activations in syntax-related regions for multilinguals while acquiring a new language
title_full_unstemmed	Enhanced activations in syntax-related regions for multilinguals while acquiring a new language
title_sort	enhanced activations in syntax-related regions for multilinguals while acquiring a new language
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/01a4fa280faf49b9b5503fbfd116470a
work_keys_str_mv	AT keitaumejima enhancedactivationsinsyntaxrelatedregionsformultilingualswhileacquiringanewlanguage AT suzanneflynn enhancedactivationsinsyntaxrelatedregionsformultilingualswhileacquiringanewlanguage AT kuniyoshilsakai enhancedactivationsinsyntaxrelatedregionsformultilingualswhileacquiringanewlanguage
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Enhanced activations in syntax-related regions for multilinguals while acquiring a new language

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