Activity levels in the left hemisphere caudate-fusiform circuit predict how well a second language will be learned.
How second language (L2) learning is achieved in the human brain remains one of the fundamental questions of neuroscience and linguistics. Previous neuroimaging studies with bilinguals have consistently shown overlapping cortical organization of the native language (L1) and L2, leading to a prediction that a common neurobiological marker may be responsible for the development of the two languages. Here, by using functional MRI, we show that later skills to read in L2 are predicted by the activity level of the fusiform-caudate circuit in the left hemisphere, which nonetheless is not predictive of the ability to read in the native language. We scanned 10-y-old children while they performed a lexical decision task on L2 (and L1) stimuli. The subjects' written language (reading) skills were behaviorally assessed twice, the first time just before we performed the fMRI scan (time 1 reading) and the second time 1 y later (time 2 reading). A whole-brain based analysis revealed that activity levels in left caudate and left fusiform gyrus correlated with L2 literacy skills at time 1. After controlling for the effects of time 1 reading and nonverbal IQ, or the effect of in-scanner lexical performance, the development in L2 literacy skills (time 2 reading) was also predicted by activity in left caudate and fusiform regions that are thought to mediate language control functions and resolve competition arising from L1 during L2 learning. Our findings suggest that the activity level of left caudate and fusiform regions serves as an important neurobiological marker for predicting accomplishment in reading skills in a new language.
State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Department of Linguistics, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. tanlh@hkucc.hku.hk
Li Hai
LH
Tan
Lin
L
Chen
Virginia
V
Yip
Alice H D
AH
Chan
Jing
J
Yang
Jia-Hong
JH
Gao
Wai Ting
WT
Siok
D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019303:Multilingualism; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011932:Reading; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000502:physiology*
Science. 2009 Jul 17;325(5938):280-3
19608907
J Speech Lang Hear Res. 2006 Jun;49(3):572-87
16787896
Brain. 1999 Dec;122 ( Pt 12):2221-35
10581218
Epilepsy Behav. 2006 Aug;9(1):193-6
16697709
Science. 2006 Jun 9;312(5779):1537-40
16763154
Nature. 2004 Sep 2;431(7004):71-6
15343334
Annu Rev Neurosci. 1995;18:193-222
7605061
Brain Lang. 1999 Dec;70(3):347-63
10600225
Hum Brain Mapp. 2006 Feb;27(2):153-61
16035048
Behav Neurosci. 2007 Jun;121(3):602-13
17592952
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2009 Jun;4(2):208-13
19470529
Science. 1998 Oct 2;282(5386):108-11
9756472
J Cogn Neurosci. 2010 Oct;22(10):2369-86
19803688
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2007 Jul 24;104(30):12530-5
17630288
Brain Lang. 1995 Mar;48(3):320-5
7757449
Arch Neurol. 1997 May;54(5):562-73
9152113
J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1994 Jan;57(1):121
8301295
Science. 2010 Oct 15;330(6002):332-3
20947754
Hum Brain Mapp. 2003 Mar;18(3):158-66
12599273
Cortex. 2007 Jul;43(5):658-66
17715800
Trends Cogn Sci. 2005 May;9(5):220-5
15866148
Magn Reson Imaging. 2001 Jun;19(5):643-7
11672622
Neuroimage. 2000 Oct;12(4):392-403
10988033
Hum Brain Mapp. 2005 Jun;25(2):266-86
15849713
Hum Brain Mapp. 2007 Feb;28(2):94-108
16718651
J Cogn Neurosci. 2008 Jan;20(1):153-69
17919083
J Neurosci. 1999 Mar 1;19(5):1736-53
10024360
Lang Learn. 2006 Jul 1;56(S1):99-125
18273402
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008 Dec;1145:30-40
19076387
Neuroreport. 2005 May 12;16(7):761-5
15858421
Nat Neurosci. 2005 Aug;8(8):1110-6
16007082