Bilingualism comes naturally to our brains
Processing multiple languages taps same mechanisms as listening to only
one

Date:
November 3, 2021
Source:
New York University
Summary:
The brain uses a shared mechanism for combining words from a single
language and for combining words from two different languages, a
team of neuroscientists has discovered. Its findings indicate that
language switching is natural for those who are bilingual because
the brain has a mechanism that does not detect that the language
has switched, allowing for a seamless transition in comprehending
more than one language at once.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
The brain uses a shared mechanism for combining words from a single
language and for combining words from two different languages, a team
of neuroscientists has discovered. Its findings indicate that language switching is natural for those who are bilingual because the brain has a mechanism that does not detect that the language has switched, allowing
for a seamless transition in comprehending more than one language at once.


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"Our brains are capable of engaging in multiple languages," explains
Sarah Phillips, a New York University doctoral candidate and the lead
author of the paper, which appears in the journal eNeuro. "Languages
may differ in what sounds they use and how they organize words to form sentences. However, all languages involve the process of combining
words to express complex thoughts." "Bilinguals show a fascinating
version of this process -- their brains readily combine words from
different languages together, much like when combining words from the
same language," adds Liina Pylkka"nen, a professor in NYU's Department
of Linguistics and Department of Psychology and the senior author of
the paper.

An estimated 60 million in the U.S. use two or more languages, according
to the U.S. Census. However, despite the widespread nature of bi- and multilingualism, domestically and globally, the neurological mechanisms
used to understand and produce more than one language are not well
understood.

This terrain is an intriguing one; bilinguals often mix their two
languages together as they converse with one another, raising questions
about how the brain functions in such exchanges.

To better understand these processes, Phillips and Pylkka"nen, who is
also part of the NYU Abu Dhabi Institute, explored whether bilinguals
interpret these mixed-language expressions using the same mechanisms
as when comprehending single-language expressions or, alternatively,
if understanding mixed-language expressions engages the brain in a
unique way.



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To test this, the scientists measured the neural activity of
Korean/English bilinguals.

Here, the study's subjects viewed a series of word combinations and
pictures on a computer screen. They then had to indicate whether or
not the picture matched the preceding words. The words either formed a
two-word sentence or were simply a pair of verbs that did not combine
with each other into a meaningful phrase (e.g., "icicles melt" vs. "jump melt"). In some instances, the two words came from a single language
(English or Korean) while in others both languages were used, with the
latter mimicking mixed-language conversations.

In order to measure the study subjects' brain activity during these experiments, the researchers deployed magnetoencephalography (MEG),
a technique that maps neural activity by recording magnetic fields
generated by the electrical currents produced by our brains.

The recordings showed that Korean/English bilinguals, in interpreting
mixed- language expressions, used the same neural mechanism as they did
while interpreting single-language expressions.

Specifically, the brain's left anterior temporal lobe, a brain region
well- studied for its role in combining the meanings of multiple words,
was insensitive to whether the words it received were from the same
language or from different languages. This region, then, proceeded to
combine words into more complex meanings so long as the meanings of the
two words combined together into a more complex meaning.

These findings suggest that language switching is natural for bilinguals because the brain has a combinatory mechanism that does not "see" that
the language has switched.

"Earlier studies have examined how our brains can interpret an infinite
number of expressions within a single language," observes Phillips. "This research shows that bilingual brains can, with striking ease,
interpret complex expressions containing words from different languages." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by New_York_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


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Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/11/211103140118.htm

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