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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 21, 2026

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation tDCS of Wernicke's and Broca's Areas in Studies of Language Learning and Word Acquisition
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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.

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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.

Keywords:
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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.