Native and non-native speech sound processing and the neural mismatch responses: A longitudinal study on...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Linguistics

Background:

• Natural language immersion alters neural speech processing.
• Impact on children learning languages in classrooms is less understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate neural changes in speech sound processing in children learning a foreign language in a classroom setting.
• Compare neural responses to native and non-native speech sounds longitudinally.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal electroencephalography (EEG) study with 38 children (7.5 years) learning English.
• Mismatch negativity (MMN) experiment to assess auditory processing.
• Comparison with 22 adult participants.

Main Results:

• An MMN emerged in children after filtering, suggesting concurrent mismatch processes.
• Children's MMN to non-native sounds was smaller than to native sounds.
• No significant change in MMN response after one year of classroom learning.

Conclusions:

• Classroom-based foreign language learning in children may not recruit additional neural resources for processing foreign speech sounds.
• Neural plasticity for speech sound processing might require more than classroom exposure.