The influence of proficiency and age of acquisition on second language processing: An fMRI study of Mandarin-English bilinguals

Research investigating the neural correlates of second language (L2) processing has usually studied age of acquisition (AoA) and proficiency separately. Presently, we examined both in parallel, treated as continuous variables. We used fMRI to study neural activity for L2 processing in adult native Mandarin speakers who are L2 English speakers. Behavioral measures of language proficiency and AoA were obtained from subjects prior to performing a picture-word matching task during an fMRI scan. Brain activity during L2 English processing was shown to be independently affected by AoA and proficiency; activity in left superior temporal gyrus and right parahippocampal gyrus was modulated by AoA when L2 proficiency is accounted for, while activity in right insula, right middle temporal gyrus, and left parahippocampal gyrus was modulated by L2 proficiency regardless of AoA. These results suggest that brain organization of L2 lexico-semantic processing is susceptible to L2 ability levels as well as age-dependent learning.

Name thesis:degree_name

M Sc

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

The University of Western Ontario

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Nichols, Emily S

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Marc Joanisse

• Language
• second language
• bilingualism
• fMRI
• proficiency
• age of acquisition

Language dc:language.iso

en_ca

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14721/36282

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:uwo.scholaris.ca:20.500.14721/36282