An Event-related Potential Study of Second Language Semantic and Syntactic Processing: Evidence From the...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psycholinguistics
• Cognitive Science

Background:

• Investigates the Declarative/Procedural (DP) model of second language (L2) acquisition.
• Examines the role of declarative and procedural memory systems in L2 processing.
• Focuses on adult bilinguals learning English (L2) after age 15 under explicit instruction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine how L2 proficiency level influences syntactic and semantic processing.
• To assess the extent to which proficiency correlates with native-like L2 processing.
• To explore the neural correlates of L2 processing in relation to proficiency and memory systems.

Main Methods:

• Employs a mixed-method design with an oddball violation paradigm.
• Compares high-proficient and pre-intermediate Persian-English bilinguals (N=20).
• Utilizes Event-related potentials (ERPs) to analyze brain activity during syntactic and semantic tasks (N400 and P600 windows).

Main Results:

• High-proficient bilinguals exhibit more native-like neural patterns in L2 syntactic and semantic processing.
• Less proficient learners show delayed or reduced ERP components, indicating reliance on declarative memory.
• Specific differences in N400 amplitude observed in pre-intermediate subjects support the DP model's predictions.

Conclusions:

• Attained L2 proficiency is a stronger predictor of native-like cortical representation than age of acquisition or learning context.
• High proficiency is associated with the procedural memory system for L2 syntactic processing.
• Lower proficiency levels initially rely on the declarative memory system for L2 syntactic processing.