title: Arithmetic memory networks established in childhood are changed by experience in adulthood.
abstract: Adult bilinguals show stronger access to multiplication tables when using the language in which they learned arithmetic during childhood (LA+) than the other language (LA-), implying language-specific encoding of math facts. However, most bilinguals use LA+ throughout their life, confounding the impact of encoding and use. We tested if using arithmetic facts in LA- could reduce this LA- disadvantage. We measured event related brain potentials while bilingual teachers judged the correctness of multiplication problems in each of their languages. Critically, each teacher taught arithmetic in either LA+ or LA-. Earlier N400 peak latency was observed in both groups for the teaching than non-teaching language, showing more efficient access to these facts with use. LA+ teachers maintained an LA+ advantage, while LA- teachers showed equivalent N400 congruency effects (for incorrect versus correct solutions) in both languages. LA- teachers also showed a late positive component that may reflect conflict monitoring between their LA+ and a strong LA-. Thus, the LA- disadvantage for exact arithmetic established in early bilingual education can be mitigated by later use of LA-.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Neurosciences Institute, University of Texas at San Antonio, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martinez-Lincoln
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Neurosciences Institute, University of Texas at San Antonio, USA.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cortinas
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology and Neurosciences Institute, University of Texas at San Antonio, USA; Research Imaging Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, USA. Electronic address: nicole.wicha@utsa.edu.
authors.forename: Nicole Y Y
authors.initials: NY
authors.lastname: Wicha
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055641:Mathematical Concepts; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D019303:Multilingualism; D011340:Problem Solving; D013663:Teaching
keywords: Bilingualism; Event-related potentials; LPC; Multiplication; N400