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Updated: Jan 21, 2026
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Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition
Published on: July 13, 2019
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A longitudinal investigation of structural brain changes during second language learning.
Jennifer Legault1, Angela Grant2, Shin-Yi Fang3
1Department of Psychology and Center for Brain, Behavior, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, United States; Department of Linguistics and Cognitive Science, University of Delaware, United States.
Brain and Language
|August 4, 2019
Summary
Learning a new language like Spanish can change your brain. Neuroplasticity studies show increased cortical thickness in brain areas related to cognitive control and language processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Linguistics
Background:
- Limited research exists on the timeline of neuroplasticity following second language acquisition.
- Individual differences in cognitive abilities and their relation to brain changes during language learning are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the longitudinal structural brain changes associated with second language (L2) learning.
- To explore the relationship between individual differences in lexical processing and neuroplasticity.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study was conducted over two semesters of L2 Spanish classroom learning.
- Cortical thickness (CT) and gray matter volume (GMV) were measured.
- Lexical processing was assessed using a language decision task involving English and Spanish words.
Main Results:
- Cortical thickness (CT) increased in the left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) after L2 Spanish acquisition.
- Enhanced CT in the right MTG correlated with improved ability to differentiate between native and L2 words.
- Increased CT in the left ACC showed a correlation with functional connectivity between the ACC and MTG.
Conclusions:
- Second language lexical development is linked to structural brain changes in regions crucial for cognitive control and semantic processing.
- Neuroplasticity in response to L2 learning involves specific cortical regions and is influenced by individual lexical processing abilities.
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