Second‐language word recognition in noise: Interdependent neuromodulatory effects of semantic context and crosslinguistic interactions driven by word form similarity
Spoken language comprehension is a fundamental component of our cognitive skills. We are quite proficient at deciphering words from the auditory input despite the fact that the speech we hear is often masked by noise such as background babble originating from talkers other than the one we are attend...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-08-01
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| Series: | NeuroImage |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811921004456 |
| _version_ | 1818621988254515200 |
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| author | Sara Guediche Angela de Bruin Cesar Caballero-Gaudes Martijn Baart Arthur G. Samuel |
| author_facet | Sara Guediche Angela de Bruin Cesar Caballero-Gaudes Martijn Baart Arthur G. Samuel |
| author_sort | Sara Guediche |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Spoken language comprehension is a fundamental component of our cognitive skills. We are quite proficient at deciphering words from the auditory input despite the fact that the speech we hear is often masked by noise such as background babble originating from talkers other than the one we are attending to. To perceive spoken language as intended, we rely on prior linguistic knowledge and context. Prior knowledge includes all sounds and words that are familiar to a listener and depends on linguistic experience. For bilinguals, the phonetic and lexical repertoire encompasses two languages, and the degree of overlap between word forms across languages affects the degree to which they influence one another during auditory word recognition. To support spoken word recognition, listeners often rely on semantic information (i.e., the words we hear are usually related in a meaningful way). Although the number of multilinguals across the globe is increasing, little is known about how crosslinguistic effects (i.e., word overlap) interact with semantic context and affect the flexible neural systems that support accurate word recognition. The current multi-echo functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study addresses this question by examining how prime-target word pair semantic relationships interact with the target word's form similarity (cognate status) to the translation equivalent in the dominant language (L1) during accurate word recognition of a non-dominant (L2) language. We tested 26 early-proficient Spanish-Basque (L1-L2) bilinguals. When L2 targets matching L1 translation-equivalent phonological word forms were preceded by unrelated semantic contexts that drive lexical competition, a flexible language control (fronto-parietal-subcortical) network was upregulated, whereas when they were preceded by related semantic contexts that reduce lexical competition, it was downregulated. We conclude that an interplay between semantic and crosslinguistic effects regulates flexible control mechanisms of speech processing to facilitate L2 word recognition, in noise. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T18:18:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f4bacdfa88bd4e20b66a1870cb47ca15 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1095-9572 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T18:18:01Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | NeuroImage |
| spelling | doaj.art-f4bacdfa88bd4e20b66a1870cb47ca152022-12-21T22:21:39ZengElsevierNeuroImage1095-95722021-08-01237118168Second‐language word recognition in noise: Interdependent neuromodulatory effects of semantic context and crosslinguistic interactions driven by word form similaritySara Guediche0Angela de Bruin1Cesar Caballero-Gaudes2Martijn Baart3Arthur G. Samuel4Basque Center on Cognition Brain, and Language, Donostia-San Sebastian 20009, Spain; Corresponding author.University of York, York YO105DD, United KingdomBasque Center on Cognition Brain, and Language, Donostia-San Sebastian 20009, SpainBasque Center on Cognition Brain, and Language, Donostia-San Sebastian 20009, Spain; Department of Cognitive Neuropsychology, Tilburg University, P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, the NetherlandsBasque Center on Cognition Brain, and Language, Donostia-San Sebastian 20009, Spain; Stony Brook University, NY 11794-2500, United States; Ikerbasque Foundation, SpainSpoken language comprehension is a fundamental component of our cognitive skills. We are quite proficient at deciphering words from the auditory input despite the fact that the speech we hear is often masked by noise such as background babble originating from talkers other than the one we are attending to. To perceive spoken language as intended, we rely on prior linguistic knowledge and context. Prior knowledge includes all sounds and words that are familiar to a listener and depends on linguistic experience. For bilinguals, the phonetic and lexical repertoire encompasses two languages, and the degree of overlap between word forms across languages affects the degree to which they influence one another during auditory word recognition. To support spoken word recognition, listeners often rely on semantic information (i.e., the words we hear are usually related in a meaningful way). Although the number of multilinguals across the globe is increasing, little is known about how crosslinguistic effects (i.e., word overlap) interact with semantic context and affect the flexible neural systems that support accurate word recognition. The current multi-echo functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study addresses this question by examining how prime-target word pair semantic relationships interact with the target word's form similarity (cognate status) to the translation equivalent in the dominant language (L1) during accurate word recognition of a non-dominant (L2) language. We tested 26 early-proficient Spanish-Basque (L1-L2) bilinguals. When L2 targets matching L1 translation-equivalent phonological word forms were preceded by unrelated semantic contexts that drive lexical competition, a flexible language control (fronto-parietal-subcortical) network was upregulated, whereas when they were preceded by related semantic contexts that reduce lexical competition, it was downregulated. We conclude that an interplay between semantic and crosslinguistic effects regulates flexible control mechanisms of speech processing to facilitate L2 word recognition, in noise.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811921004456Crosslinguistic effectsSpeech in noisefMRILanguage controlBilingualism |
| spellingShingle | Sara Guediche Angela de Bruin Cesar Caballero-Gaudes Martijn Baart Arthur G. Samuel Second‐language word recognition in noise: Interdependent neuromodulatory effects of semantic context and crosslinguistic interactions driven by word form similarity NeuroImage Crosslinguistic effects Speech in noise fMRI Language control Bilingualism |
| title | Second‐language word recognition in noise: Interdependent neuromodulatory effects of semantic context and crosslinguistic interactions driven by word form similarity |
| title_full | Second‐language word recognition in noise: Interdependent neuromodulatory effects of semantic context and crosslinguistic interactions driven by word form similarity |
| title_fullStr | Second‐language word recognition in noise: Interdependent neuromodulatory effects of semantic context and crosslinguistic interactions driven by word form similarity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Second‐language word recognition in noise: Interdependent neuromodulatory effects of semantic context and crosslinguistic interactions driven by word form similarity |
| title_short | Second‐language word recognition in noise: Interdependent neuromodulatory effects of semantic context and crosslinguistic interactions driven by word form similarity |
| title_sort | second language word recognition in noise interdependent neuromodulatory effects of semantic context and crosslinguistic interactions driven by word form similarity |
| topic | Crosslinguistic effects Speech in noise fMRI Language control Bilingualism |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1053811921004456 |
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