Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN): A longitudinal ERP study
An early component of the auditory event-related potential (ERP), the mismatch negativity (MMN), has been shown to be sensitive to native phonemic sound contrasts. The potential changes to this neural sensitivity from foreign language learning have only been marginally studied. The existing research...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2022-12-01
|
| Series: | NeuroImage: Reports |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666956022000629 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850045151505809408 |
|---|---|
| author | Andreas Højlund Nynne Thorup Horn Stine Derdau Sørensen William B. McGregor Mikkel Wallentin |
| author_facet | Andreas Højlund Nynne Thorup Horn Stine Derdau Sørensen William B. McGregor Mikkel Wallentin |
| author_sort | Andreas Højlund |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | An early component of the auditory event-related potential (ERP), the mismatch negativity (MMN), has been shown to be sensitive to native phonemic sound contrasts. The potential changes to this neural sensitivity from foreign language learning have only been marginally studied. The existing research seems to suggest that the neural sensitivity as indexed by the MMN can adapt to foreign language sound contrasts with very target-specific training, but whether the effects are long-lasting or generalize to proper foreign language learning is yet to be investigated in a viable longitudinal study design. We therefore recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from two groups of language officer cadets (learning either Arabic (n = 8) or Dari (n = 12)) while they listened to speech sound contrasts from both languages. We recorded their EEG four times over the course of 19 months of intensive foreign language training (immediately before they started, after three weeks, after six months, and after 19 months).We did not find any language-specific effects of learning on the cadets’ MMNs to the speech sound contrasts. We did, however, elicit statistically reliable MMNs to both sound contrasts for both groups at most of the four times of measurement. Furthermore, we found that the Arabic learners’ MMNs to the Arabic stimuli diminished over time, and that the Dari learners’ P3a responses to the Arabic stimuli diminished over time. Correlating the participants’ MMNs with their behavioral responses to the language stimuli did not reveal any strong links between behavior and neurophysiology. However, those Dari learners whose MMNs to the Dari stimuli increased the most within the first three weeks, also received the highest grades on a listening task after 17 weeks. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-fa99220fb84a4e858c17b29a92ca6bb0 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2666-9560 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NeuroImage: Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-fa99220fb84a4e858c17b29a92ca6bb02025-08-20T02:54:46ZengElsevierNeuroImage: Reports2666-95602022-12-012410013810.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100138Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN): A longitudinal ERP studyAndreas Højlund0Nynne Thorup Horn1Stine Derdau Sørensen2William B. McGregor3Mikkel Wallentin4Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Aarhus University, Denmark; Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University, Denmark; Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Aarhus University, Denmark; Corresponding author. Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Universitetsbyen 3, Building 1710, DK-8000, Aarhus C, Denmark.Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Aarhus University, DenmarkDepartment of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Aarhus University, DenmarkDepartment of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Aarhus University, DenmarkCenter of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Aarhus University, Denmark; Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University, Denmark; Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, Aarhus University, DenmarkAn early component of the auditory event-related potential (ERP), the mismatch negativity (MMN), has been shown to be sensitive to native phonemic sound contrasts. The potential changes to this neural sensitivity from foreign language learning have only been marginally studied. The existing research seems to suggest that the neural sensitivity as indexed by the MMN can adapt to foreign language sound contrasts with very target-specific training, but whether the effects are long-lasting or generalize to proper foreign language learning is yet to be investigated in a viable longitudinal study design. We therefore recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from two groups of language officer cadets (learning either Arabic (n = 8) or Dari (n = 12)) while they listened to speech sound contrasts from both languages. We recorded their EEG four times over the course of 19 months of intensive foreign language training (immediately before they started, after three weeks, after six months, and after 19 months).We did not find any language-specific effects of learning on the cadets’ MMNs to the speech sound contrasts. We did, however, elicit statistically reliable MMNs to both sound contrasts for both groups at most of the four times of measurement. Furthermore, we found that the Arabic learners’ MMNs to the Arabic stimuli diminished over time, and that the Dari learners’ P3a responses to the Arabic stimuli diminished over time. Correlating the participants’ MMNs with their behavioral responses to the language stimuli did not reveal any strong links between behavior and neurophysiology. However, those Dari learners whose MMNs to the Dari stimuli increased the most within the first three weeks, also received the highest grades on a listening task after 17 weeks.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666956022000629Mismatch negativity (MMN)Event-related potential (ERP)LongitudinalForeign language learningSpeech perception |
| spellingShingle | Andreas Højlund Nynne Thorup Horn Stine Derdau Sørensen William B. McGregor Mikkel Wallentin Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN): A longitudinal ERP study NeuroImage: Reports Mismatch negativity (MMN) Event-related potential (ERP) Longitudinal Foreign language learning Speech perception |
| title | Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN): A longitudinal ERP study |
| title_full | Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN): A longitudinal ERP study |
| title_fullStr | Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN): A longitudinal ERP study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN): A longitudinal ERP study |
| title_short | Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN): A longitudinal ERP study |
| title_sort | foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity mmn a longitudinal erp study |
| topic | Mismatch negativity (MMN) Event-related potential (ERP) Longitudinal Foreign language learning Speech perception |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666956022000629 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andreashøjlund foreignlanguagelearningandthemismatchnegativitymmnalongitudinalerpstudy AT nynnethoruphorn foreignlanguagelearningandthemismatchnegativitymmnalongitudinalerpstudy AT stinederdausørensen foreignlanguagelearningandthemismatchnegativitymmnalongitudinalerpstudy AT williambmcgregor foreignlanguagelearningandthemismatchnegativitymmnalongitudinalerpstudy AT mikkelwallentin foreignlanguagelearningandthemismatchnegativitymmnalongitudinalerpstudy |