title: Free Language Selection in the Bilingual Brain: An Event-Related fMRI Study.
abstract: Bilingual speakers may select between two languages either on demand (forced language selection) or on their own volition (free language selection). However, the neural substrates underlying free and forced language selection may differ. While the neural substrates underlying forced language selection have been well-explored with language switching paradigms, those underlying free language selection have remained unclear. Using a modified digit-naming switching paradigm, we addressed the neural substrates underlying free language selection by contrasting free language switching with forced language switching. For a digit-pair trial, Chinese-English bilinguals named each digit in Chinese or English either on demand under forced language selection condition or on their own volition under free language selection condition. The results revealed activation in the frontoparietal regions that mediate volition of language selection. Furthermore, a comparison of free and forced language switching demonstrated differences in the patterns of brain activation. Additionally, free language switching showed reduced switching costs as compared to forced language switching. These findings suggest differences between the mechanism(s) underlying free and forced language switching. As such, the current study suggests interactivity between control of volition and control of language switching in free language selection, providing insights into a model of bilingual language control.
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China [2] Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, China [3] School of Foreign Languages, Southwest University of Political Science and Law, Chongqing 401120, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China [2] Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China [2] Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, China.
authors.forename: Peiyu
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China [2] Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, China [3] School of Educational Science, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing 400047, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China [2] Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, China [3] School of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: College of English Language and Literature, Sichuan International Studies University, Chongqing 400031, China.
authors.forename: Tong
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: 1] Institute of Neuroscience, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China [2] Chongqing Key Laboratory of Neurobiology, Chongqing 400016, China [3] Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
authors.forename: Peng
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D019303:Multilingualism