title: Neural activation in speech production and reading aloud in native and non-native languages.
abstract: We used fMRI to investigate neural activation in reading aloud in bilinguals differing in age of acquisition. Three groups were compared: French-English bilinguals who acquired two languages from birth (simultaneous), French-English bilinguals who learned their L2 after the age of 5 years (sequential), and English-speaking monolinguals. While the bilingual groups contrasted in age of acquisition, they were matched for language proficiency, although sequential bilinguals produced speech with a less native-like accent in their L2 than in their L1. Simultaneous bilinguals activated similar brain regions to an equivalent degree when reading in their two languages. In contrast, sequential bilinguals more strongly activated areas related to speech-motor control and orthographic to phonological mapping, the left inferior frontal gyrus, left premotor cortex, and left fusiform gyrus, when reading aloud in L2 compared to L1. In addition, the activity in these regions showed a significant positive correlation with age of acquisition. The results provide evidence for the engagement of overlapping neural substrates for processing two languages when acquired in native context from birth. However, it appears that the maturation of certain brain regions for both speech production and phonological encoding is limited by a sensitive period for L2 acquisition regardless of language proficiency.
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada. Electronic address: jonathan.berken@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Jonathan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Berken
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Vincent L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Gracco
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Jen-Kai
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: Kate E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Shari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baum
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Callahan
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007802:Language; D007804:Language Development; D007807:Language Tests; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019303:Multilingualism; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011932:Reading; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Age of acquisition; Bilingualism; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Overt sentence reading; Phonology; Sensitive period; Speech production