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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 14, 2026

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task

Published on: February 26, 2020

Second language lexical development and cognitive control: A longitudinal fMRI study.

Angela M Grant¹, Shin-Yi Fang¹, Ping Li¹

¹Department of Psychology and Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.

Brain and Language

|April 23, 2015

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cognitive control in second language acquisition decreases with practice. Neural networks shift from control regions to semantic processing areas as learners gain proficiency.

Keywords:

Executive function Longitudinal design Second language acquisition Vocabulary fMRI

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Cognitive Science
Linguistics

Background:

Second language acquisition (L2) involves complex cognitive processes.
Understanding the neural basis of L2 learning is crucial for educational and clinical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the longitudinal changes in neural correlates of cognitive control during L2 acquisition.
To examine how brain activation and connectivity evolve with increased L2 exposure over an academic year.

Main Methods:

Longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study.
Participants performed lexical decision tasks involving L1 and L2 words, including interlingual homographs.
Region of Interest (ROI) and connectivity analyses were conducted.

Main Results:

Activation in control regions, like the anterior cingulate cortex, decreased with greater L2 exposure.
Connectivity between control and semantic processing regions, such as the middle temporal gyrus, increased.
These changes suggest a shift in cognitive processing strategies.

Conclusions:

Cognitive control plays a more significant role in the initial stages of L2 acquisition.
Neural efficiency in L2 processing improves over time.
Findings inform neurocognitive models of language learning and development.