Electrophysiological evidence for cross-language interference in foreign-language attrition

Area of Science:

• Psycholinguistics
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Second Language Acquisition

Background:

• Foreign language attrition (FLA) is often attributed to interference from recently used languages.
• Electrophysiological methods can provide insights into the neural mechanisms underlying FLA.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the electrophysiological dynamics of interference in foreign language attrition.
• To understand how interference from a recently learned language impacts memory retrieval.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-seven Dutch native speakers learned Italian words.
• EEG was recorded during English naming tasks and a final Italian picture-naming task.
• Behavioral and electrophysiological data were analyzed to assess interference effects.

Main Results:

• Behavioral recall was slower and less complete for Italian words previously interfered with by English naming.
• Electrophysiological data showed enhanced frontal N2 and decreased late positivity (LPC) for interfered items.
• Increased theta power and N2 during interference predicted slower later retrieval, suggesting ongoing attrition.

Conclusions:

• Interference from recently practiced languages directly impacts foreign language attrition.
• Frontal N2 and theta power reflect interference processes, while LPC indicates reduced memory accessibility.
• Foreign language attrition begins during the interference phase, highlighting the role of cross-linguistic competition.