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Differences between Monolinguals and Bilinguals in Phonetic and Phonological Learning and the Connection with Auditory Sensory Memory. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13030488. [PMID: 36979298 PMCID: PMC10046011 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13030488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bilingualism has been linked with improved function regarding certain aspects of linguistic processing, e.g., novel word acquisition and learning unfamiliar sound patterns. Two non mutually-exclusive approaches might explain these results. One is related to executive function, speculating that more effective learning is achieved through actively choosing relevant information while inhibiting potentially interfering information. While still controversial, executive function enhancements attributed to bilingual experience have been reported for decades. The other approach, understudied to date, emphasizes the role of sensory mechanisms, specifically auditory sensory memory. Bilinguals outperformed monolinguals in tasks involving auditory processing and episodic memory recall, but the questions whether (1) bilinguals’ auditory sensory memory skills are also enhanced, and (2) phonetic skill and auditory sensory memory are correlated, remain open, however. Our study is innovative in investigating phonetic learning skills and auditory sensory memory in the same speakers from two groups: monolinguals and early bilinguals. The participants were trained and tested on an artificial accent of English and their auditory sensory memory was assessed based on a digit span task. The results demonstrated that, compared to monolinguals, bilinguals exhibit enhanced auditory sensory memory and phonetic and phonological learning skill, and a correlation exists between them.
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2
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tDCS modulates speech perception and production in second language learners. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16212. [PMID: 36171463 PMCID: PMC9519965 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20512-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Accurate identification and pronunciation of nonnative speech sounds can be particularly challenging for adult language learners. The current study tested the effects of a brief musical training combined with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on speech perception and production in a second language (L2). The sample comprised 36 native Hebrew speakers, aged 18-38, who studied English as L2 in a formal setting and had little musical training. Training encompassed musical perception tasks with feedback (i.e., timbre, duration, and tonal memory) and concurrent tDCS applied over the left posterior auditory-related cortex (including posterior superior temporal gyrus and planum temporale). Participants were randomly assigned to anodal or sham stimulation. Musical perception, L2 speech perception (measured by a categorical AXB discrimination task) and speech production (measured by a speech imitation task) were tested before and after training. There were no tDCS-dependent effects on musical perception post-training. However, only participants who received active stimulation showed increased accuracy of L2 phoneme discrimination and greater change in the acoustic properties of L2 speech sound production (i.e., second formant frequency in vowels and center of gravity in consonants). The results of this study suggest neuromodulation can facilitate the processing of nonnative speech sounds in adult learners.
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3
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Lin JFL, Imada T, Meltzoff AN, Hiraishi H, Ikeda T, Takahashi T, Hasegawa C, Yoshimura Y, Kikuchi M, Hirata M, Minabe Y, Asada M, Kuhl PK. Dual-MEG interbrain synchronization during turn-taking verbal interactions between mothers and children. Cereb Cortex 2022; 33:4116-4134. [PMID: 36130088 PMCID: PMC10068303 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Verbal interaction and imitation are essential for language learning and development in young children. However, it is unclear how mother-child dyads synchronize oscillatory neural activity at the cortical level in turn-based speech interactions. Our study investigated interbrain synchrony in mother-child pairs during a turn-taking paradigm of verbal imitation. A dual-MEG (magnetoencephalography) setup was used to measure brain activity from interactive mother-child pairs simultaneously. Interpersonal neural synchronization was compared between socially interactive and noninteractive tasks (passive listening to pure tones). Interbrain networks showed increased synchronization during the socially interactive compared to noninteractive conditions in the theta and alpha bands. Enhanced interpersonal brain synchrony was observed in the right angular gyrus, right triangular, and left opercular parts of the inferior frontal gyrus. Moreover, these parietal and frontal regions appear to be the cortical hubs exhibiting a high number of interbrain connections. These cortical areas could serve as a neural marker for the interactive component in verbal social communication. The present study is the first to investigate mother-child interbrain neural synchronization during verbal social interactions using a dual-MEG setup. Our results advance our understanding of turn-taking during verbal interaction between mother-child dyads and suggest a role for social "gating" in language learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo-Fu Lotus Lin
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), University of Washington, Portage Bay Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan.,Institute of Linguistics, National Tsing Hua University, 101, Section 2, Kuang-Fu Road, Hsinchu 300044, Taiwan
| | - Toshiaki Imada
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), University of Washington, Portage Bay Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Andrew N Meltzoff
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), University of Washington, Portage Bay Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Hirotoshi Hiraishi
- Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, 1 Chome-20-1 Handayama, Higashi Ward, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-3192, Japan
| | - Takashi Ikeda
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | | | - Chiaki Hasegawa
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Yuko Yoshimura
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Kikuchi
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Masayuki Hirata
- Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka University Medical School, 2 Chome-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Yoshio Minabe
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, 13-1 Takaramachi, Kanazawa-City, Ishikawa-Ken 920-8640, Japan
| | - Minoru Asada
- Department of Adaptive Machine Systems, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Patricia K Kuhl
- Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences (I-LABS), University of Washington, Portage Bay Building, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
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4
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Individual Differences in Singing Behavior during Childhood Predicts Language Performance during Adulthood. LANGUAGES 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/languages7020072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Research on singing and language abilities has gained considerable interest in the past decade. While several studies about singing ability and language capacity have been published, investigations on individual differences in singing behavior during childhood and its relationship to language capacity in adulthood have largely been neglected. We wanted to focus our study on whether individuals who had sung more often during childhood than their peers were also better in language and music capacity during adulthood. We used questionnaires to assess singing behavior of adults during childhood and tested them for their singing ability, their music perception skills, and their ability to perceive and pronounce unfamiliar languages. The results have revealed that the more often individuals had sung during childhood, the better their singing ability and language pronunciation skills were, while the amount of childhood singing was less predictive on music and language perception skills. We suggest that the amount of singing during childhood seems to influence the ability to sing and the ability to acquire foreign language pronunciation later in adulthood.
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5
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Vocal Learning and Behaviors in Birds and Human Bilinguals: Parallels, Divergences and Directions for Research. LANGUAGES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/languages7010005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Comparisons between the communication systems of humans and animals are instrumental in contextualizing speech and language into an evolutionary and biological framework and for illuminating mechanisms of human communication. As a complement to previous work that compares developmental vocal learning and use among humans and songbirds, in this article we highlight phenomena associated with vocal learning subsequent to the development of primary vocalizations (i.e., the primary language (L1) in humans and the primary song (S1) in songbirds). By framing avian “second-song” (S2) learning and use within the human second-language (L2) context, we lay the groundwork for a scientifically-rich dialogue between disciplines. We begin by summarizing basic birdsong research, focusing on how songs are learned and on constraints on learning. We then consider commonalities in vocal learning across humans and birds, in particular the timing and neural mechanisms of learning, variability of input, and variability of outcomes. For S2 and L2 learning outcomes, we address the respective roles of age, entrenchment, and social interactions. We proceed to orient current and future birdsong inquiry around foundational features of human bilingualism: L1 effects on the L2, L1 attrition, and L1<–>L2 switching. Throughout, we highlight characteristics that are shared across species as well as the need for caution in interpreting birdsong research. Thus, from multiple instructive perspectives, our interdisciplinary dialogue sheds light on biological and experiential principles of L2 acquisition that are informed by birdsong research, and leverages well-studied characteristics of bilingualism in order to clarify, contextualize, and further explore S2 learning and use in songbirds.
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Sander K, Barbeau EB, Chai X, Kousaie S, Petrides M, Baum S, Klein D. Frontoparietal Anatomical Connectivity Predicts Second Language Learning Success. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2602-2610. [PMID: 34607363 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
There is considerable individual variability in second language (L2) learning abilities in adulthood. The inferior parietal lobule, important in L2 learning success, is anatomically connected to language areas in the frontal lobe via the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). The second and third branches of the SLF (SLF II and III) have not been examined separately in the context of language, yet they are known to have dissociable frontoparietal connections. Studying these pathways and their functional contributions to L2 learning is thus of great interest. Using diffusion MRI tractography, we investigated individuals undergoing language training to explore brain structural predictors of L2 learning success. We dissected SLF II and III using gold-standard anatomical definitions and related prelearning white matter integrity to language improvements corresponding with hypothesized tract functions. SLF II properties predicted improvement in lexical retrieval, while SLF III properties predicted improvement in articulation rate. Finer grained separation of these pathways enables better understanding of their distinct roles in language, which is essential for studying how anatomical connectivity relates to L2 learning abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaija Sander
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada
| | - Elise B Barbeau
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada
| | - Xiaoqian Chai
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada
| | - Shanna Kousaie
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Michael Petrides
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada.,Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1G1, Canada
| | - Shari Baum
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada.,School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1G1, Canada
| | - Denise Klein
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, QC H3G 2A8, Canada
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7
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Abstract
Left-hemispheric language dominance is a well-known characteristic of the human language system. However, it has been shown that leftward language lateralization decreases dramatically when people communicate using whistles. Whistled languages present a transformation of a spoken language into whistles, facilitating communication over great distances. In order to investigate the laterality of Silbo Gomero, a form of whistled Spanish, we used a vocal and a whistled dichotic listening task in a sample of 75 healthy Spanish speakers. Both individuals that were able to whistle and to understand Silbo Gomero and a non-whistling control group showed a clear right-ear advantage for vocal dichotic listening. For whistled dichotic listening, the control group did not show any hemispheric asymmetries. In contrast, the whistlers’ group showed a right-ear advantage for whistled stimuli. This right-ear advantage was, however, smaller compared to the right-ear advantage found for vocal dichotic listening. In line with a previous study on language lateralization of whistled Turkish, these findings suggest that whistled language processing is associated with a decrease in left and a relative increase in right hemispheric processing. This shows that bihemispheric processing of whistled language stimuli occurs independent of language.
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8
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Danylkiv A, Krafnick AJ. A Meta-Analysis of Gray Matter Differences Between Bilinguals and Monolinguals. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:146. [PMID: 32390815 PMCID: PMC7191056 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Bilingualism is of great interest to the neuroscience of language, and understanding the anatomical changes associated with second language learning help inform theories of bilingual advantage across the lifespan. While the literature on structural differences between bilinguals and monolinguals is robust, relatively few studies of gray matter (GM) have directly compared bilinguals with monolinguals in a whole-brain analysis. Overall, this and heterogeneity of study samples and methodology have led to a lack of clear anatomical support for major theories. Here, we engage in an activation likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies of GM for cases that directly compare bilingual and monolingual subjects in a whole-brain analysis. The analysis (sixteen foci, from ten contrasts across eight studies) resulted in one cluster located primarily within the anterior lobe of the right cerebellum. However, when the one pediatric study was removed, the analysis revealed no consistent results across the studies included in this meta-analysis. This suggests that for VBM studies of bilingual and monolingual adults there is considerable heterogeneity of results that complicate the understanding of the bilingual brain. Future studies will need to include larger, more well-defined samples and interrogate more fine-grained anatomical features such as cortical thickness and surface area in order to more fully examine the anatomical changes associated with bilingualism across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasiya Danylkiv
- Psychology Department, Dominican University, River Forest, IL, United States
| | - Anthony J Krafnick
- Psychology Department, Dominican University, River Forest, IL, United States
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9
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Qi Z, Legault J. Neural hemispheric organization in successful adult language learning: Is left always right? PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.plm.2020.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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10
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Li JJ, Ayala S, Harel D, Shiller DM, McAllister T. Individual predictors of response to biofeedback training for second-language production. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2019; 146:4625. [PMID: 31893730 PMCID: PMC6937206 DOI: 10.1121/1.5139423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
While recent research suggests that visual biofeedback can facilitate speech production training in clinical populations and second language (L2) learners, individual learners' responsiveness to biofeedback is highly variable. This study investigated the hypothesis that the type of biofeedback provided, visual-acoustic versus ultrasound, could interact with individuals' acuity in auditory and somatosensory domains. Specifically, it was hypothesized that learners with lower acuity in a sensory domain would show greater learning in response to biofeedback targeting that domain. Production variability and phonological awareness were also investigated as predictors. Sixty female native speakers of English received 30 min of training, randomly assigned to feature visual-acoustic or ultrasound biofeedback, for each of two Mandarin vowels. On average, participants showed a moderate magnitude of improvement (decrease in Euclidean distance from a native-speaker target) across both vowels and biofeedback conditions. The hypothesis of an interaction between sensory acuity and biofeedback type was not supported, but phonological awareness and production variability were predictive of learning gains, consistent with previous research. Specifically, high phonological awareness and low production variability post-training were associated with better outcomes, although these effects were mediated by vowel target. This line of research could have implications for personalized learning in both L2 pedagogy and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne Jingwen Li
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York University, 665 Broadway, Suite 900, New York, New York 10012, USA
| | - Samantha Ayala
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York University, 665 Broadway, Suite 900, New York, New York 10012, USA
| | - Daphna Harel
- Department of Applied Statistics, Social Science, and Humanities, New York University, 246 Greene Street, 3rd Floor, New York, New York 10003, USA
| | - Douglas M Shiller
- École d'orthophonie et d'audiologie, Université de Montréal, Case Postale 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Tara McAllister
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, New York University, 665 Broadway, Suite 900, New York, New York 10012, USA
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11
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Llompart M, Reinisch E. Imitation in a Second Language Relies on Phonological Categories but Does Not Reflect the Productive Usage of Difficult Sound Contrasts. LANGUAGE AND SPEECH 2019; 62:594-622. [PMID: 30319031 DOI: 10.1177/0023830918803978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between imitation and both the perception and production abilities of second language (L2) learners for two non-native contrasts differing in their expected degree of difficulty. German learners of English were tested on perceptual categorization, imitation and a word reading task for the difficult English /ɛ/-/æ/ contrast, which tends not to be well encoded in the learners' phonological inventories, and the easy, near-native /i/-/ɪ/ contrast. As expected, within-task comparisons between contrasts revealed more robust perception and better differentiation during production for /i/-/ɪ/ than /ɛ/-/æ/. Imitation also followed this pattern, suggesting that imitation is modulated by the phonological encoding of L2 categories. Moreover, learners' ability to imitate /ɛ/ and /æ/ was related to their perception of that contrast, confirming a tight perception-production link at the phonological level for difficult L2 sound contrasts. However, no relationship was observed between acoustic measures for imitated and read-aloud tokens of /ɛ/ and /æ/. This dissociation is mostly attributed to the influence of inaccurate non-native lexical representations in the word reading task. We conclude that imitation is strongly related to the phonological representation of L2 sound contrasts, but does not need to reflect the learners' productive usage of such non-native distinctions.
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12
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Turker S, Reiterer SM, Schneider P, Seither-Preisler A. Auditory Cortex Morphology Predicts Language Learning Potential in Children and Teenagers. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:824. [PMID: 31447639 PMCID: PMC6692463 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
In two recent studies, we identified neuroanatomical and neurofunctional markers of musical aptitude, attention deficit (hyperactivity) disorder and dyslexia in the auditory cortex (AC) of children. In a subsequent study with adults, we found evidence for neuroanatomical correlates of speech imitation ability in right Heschl's gyrus (HG), a structure comprising primary and parts of secondary AC. In the present study, we aimed to verify this previously suggested link between structural variation of right HG and language aptitude in a younger population of children and teenagers (N = 42; age range: 10-16 years), while behaviorally exploring the relationship between language aptitude, working memory, arithmetic skills and musicality. Behaviorally, scores on the language aptitude battery strongly correlated with working memory and speech imitation ability. Furthermore, we found that self- and parent-reported language aptitude and school grades were closely associated with language aptitude scores. Neuroanatomical analyses revealed a significant relationship between the occurrence of multiple HGs and high gray matter (GM) volumes in right AC and high language aptitude regardless of age, gender or musical ability. Additionally, low language aptitude was associated with the occurrence of single gyri in right AC. In accordance with previous research, we suggest that right HG might be associated with language aptitude, with a stronger gyrification and higher GM volumes being beneficial for successful auditory processing and the integration of speech-related cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Turker
- Centre for Systematic Musicology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Peter Schneider
- Section of Biomagnetism, Department of Neuroradiology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Annemarie Seither-Preisler
- Centre for Systematic Musicology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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13
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Coumel M, Christiner M, Reiterer SM. Second Language Accent Faking Ability Depends on Musical Abilities, Not on Working Memory. Front Psychol 2019; 10:257. [PMID: 30809178 PMCID: PMC6379457 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies involving direct language imitation tasks have shown that pronunciation ability is related to musical competence and working memory capacities. However, this type of task may measure individual differences in many different linguistic dimensions, other than just phonetic ones. The present study uses an indirect imitation task by asking participants to a fake a foreign accent in order to specifically target individual differences in phonetic abilities. Its aim is to investigate whether musical expertise and working memory capacities relate to phonological awareness (i.e., participants’ implicit knowledge about the phonological system of the target language and its structural properties at the segmental, suprasegmental, and phonotactic levels) as measured on this task. To this end, French native listeners (N = 36) graded how well German native imitators (N = 25) faked a French accent while speaking in German. The imitators also performed a musicality test, a self-assessment of their singing abilities and working memory tasks. The results indicate that the ability to fake a French accent correlates with singing ability and musical perceptual abilities, but not with working memory capacities. This suggests that heightened musical abilities may lead to an increased phonological awareness probably by providing participants with highly efficient memorization strategies and highly accurate long-term phonetic representations of foreign sounds. Comparison with data of previous studies shows that working memory could be implicated in the pronunciation learning process which direct imitation tasks target, whereas musical expertise influences both storing of knowledge and later retrieval here assessed via an indirect imitation task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Coumel
- Department of Linguistics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Psychology, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Markus Christiner
- Department of Linguistics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Department of Neurology, Section of Biomagnetism, University of Heidelberg Medical School, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Susanne Maria Reiterer
- Department of Linguistics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.,Teacher Education Center, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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14
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Novén M, Schremm A, Nilsson M, Horne M, Roll M. Cortical thickness of Broca's area and right homologue is related to grammar learning aptitude and pitch discrimination proficiency. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2019; 188:42-47. [PMID: 30572263 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2018.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Aptitude for and proficiency in acquiring new languages varies in the human population but their neural bases are largely unknown. We investigated the influence of cortical thickness on language learning predictors measured by the LLAMA tests and a pitch-change discrimination test. The LLAMA tests are first language-independent assessments of language learning aptitude for vocabulary, phonetic working memory, sound-symbol correspondence (not used in this study), and grammatical inferencing. Pitch perception proficiency is known to predict aptitude for learning new phonology. Results show a correlation between scores in a grammatical meaning-inferencing aptitude test and cortical thickness of Broca's area (r(30) = 0.65, p = 0.0202) and other frontal areas (r(30) = 0.66, p = 0.0137). Further, a correlation was found between proficiency in discriminating pitch-change direction and cortical thickness of the right Broca homologue (r(30) = 0.57, p = 0.0006). However, no correlations were found for aptitude for vocabulary learning or phonetic working memory. Results contribute to locating cortical regions important for language-learning aptitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikael Novén
- Department of Linguistics and Phonetics, Lund University, 221 00, Sweden.
| | - Andrea Schremm
- Department of Linguistics and Phonetics, Lund University, 221 00, Sweden.
| | - Markus Nilsson
- Lund University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Radiology, Lund 221 00, Sweden.
| | - Merle Horne
- Department of Linguistics and Phonetics, Lund University, 221 00, Sweden.
| | - Mikael Roll
- Department of Linguistics and Phonetics, Lund University, 221 00, Sweden.
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15
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Johnson L, Fitzhugh MC, Yi Y, Mickelsen S, Baxter LC, Howard P, Rogalsky C. Functional Neuroanatomy of Second Language Sentence Comprehension: An fMRI Study of Late Learners of American Sign Language. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1626. [PMID: 30237778 PMCID: PMC6136263 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurobiology of sentence comprehension is well-studied but the properties and characteristics of sentence processing networks remain unclear and highly debated. Sign languages (i.e., visual-manual languages), like spoken languages, have complex grammatical structures and thus can provide valuable insights into the specificity and function of brain regions supporting sentence comprehension. The present study aims to characterize how these well-studied spoken language networks can adapt in adults to be responsive to sign language sentences, which contain combinatorial semantic and syntactic visual-spatial linguistic information. Twenty native English-speaking undergraduates who had completed introductory American Sign Language (ASL) courses viewed videos of the following conditions during fMRI acquisition: signed sentences, signed word lists, English sentences and English word lists. Overall our results indicate that native language (L1) sentence processing resources are responsive to ASL sentence structures in late L2 learners, but that certain L1 sentence processing regions respond differently to L2 ASL sentences, likely due to the nature of their contribution to language comprehension. For example, L1 sentence regions in Broca's area were significantly more responsive to L2 than L1 sentences, supporting the hypothesis that Broca's area contributes to sentence comprehension as a cognitive resource when increased processing is required. Anterior temporal L1 sentence regions were sensitive to L2 ASL sentence structure, but demonstrated no significant differences in activation to L1 than L2, suggesting its contribution to sentence processing is modality-independent. Posterior superior temporal L1 sentence regions also responded to ASL sentence structure but were more activated by English than ASL sentences. An exploratory analysis of the neural correlates of L2 ASL proficiency indicates that ASL proficiency is positively correlated with increased activations in response to ASL sentences in L1 sentence processing regions. Overall these results suggest that well-established fronto-temporal spoken language networks involved in sentence processing exhibit functional plasticity with late L2 ASL exposure, and thus are adaptable to syntactic structures widely different than those in an individual's native language. Our findings also provide valuable insights into the unique contributions of the inferior frontal and superior temporal regions that are frequently implicated in sentence comprehension but whose exact roles remain highly debated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Johnson
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Megan C Fitzhugh
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States.,Interdisciplinary Graduate Neuroscience Program, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Yuji Yi
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Soren Mickelsen
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Leslie C Baxter
- Barrow Neurological Institute and St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, AZ, United States
| | - Pamela Howard
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
| | - Corianne Rogalsky
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, United States
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16
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Early Influence of Musical Abilities and Working Memory on Speech Imitation Abilities: Study with Pre-School Children. Brain Sci 2018; 8:brainsci8090169. [PMID: 30200479 PMCID: PMC6162612 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci8090169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Musical aptitude and language talent are highly intertwined when it comes to phonetic language ability. Research on pre-school children’s musical abilities and foreign language abilities are rare but give further insights into the relationship between language and musical aptitude. We tested pre-school children’s abilities to imitate unknown languages, to remember strings of digits, to sing, to discriminate musical statements and their intrinsic (spontaneous) singing behavior (“singing-lovers versus singing nerds”). The findings revealed that having an ear for music is linked to phonetic language abilities. The results of this investigation show that a working memory capacity and phonetic aptitude are linked to high musical perception and production ability already at around the age of 5. This suggests that music and (foreign) language learning capacity may be linked from childhood on. Furthermore, the findings put emphasis on the possibility that early developed abilities may be responsible for individual differences in both linguistic and musical performances.
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17
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Beyond bilingualism: multilingual experience correlates with caudate volume. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:3495-3502. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1695-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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18
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Berisha V, Gilton D, Baxter LC, Corman SR, Blais C, Brewer G, Ruston S, Hunter Ball B, Wingert KM, Peter B, Rogalsky C. Structural neural predictors of Farsi-English bilingualism. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2018; 180-182:42-49. [PMID: 29723828 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2018.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Revised: 03/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/14/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The neurobiology of bilingualism is hotly debated. The present study examines whether normalized cortical measurements can be used to reliably classify monolinguals versus bilinguals in a structural MRI dataset of Farsi-English bilinguals and English monolinguals. A decision tree classifier classified bilinguals with an average correct classification rate of 85%, and monolinguals with a rate of 71.4%. The most relevant regions for classification were the right supramarginal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus and left inferior frontal gyrus. Larger studies with carefully matched monolingual and bilingual samples are needed to confirm that features of these regions can reliably categorize monolingual and bilingual brains. Nonetheless, the present findings suggest that a single structural MRI scan, analyzed with measures readily available using default procedures in a free open-access software (Freesurfer), can be used to reliably predict an individual's language experience using a decision tree classifier, and that Farsi-English bilingualism implicates regions identified in previous group-level studies of bilingualism in other languages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Visar Berisha
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Davis Gilton
- School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Leslie C Baxter
- Barrow Neurological Institute and St. Joseph's Medical Center and Hospital, Phoenix, AZ 85013, USA
| | - Steven R Corman
- The Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Chris Blais
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Gene Brewer
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Scott Ruston
- The Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - B Hunter Ball
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Kimberly M Wingert
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Beate Peter
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA; Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO 63101, USA
| | - Corianne Rogalsky
- Department of Speech and Hearing Science, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.
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19
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Turker S, Reiterer SM, Seither-Preisler A, Schneider P. "When Music Speaks": Auditory Cortex Morphology as a Neuroanatomical Marker of Language Aptitude and Musicality. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2096. [PMID: 29250017 PMCID: PMC5717836 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 11/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has shown that the morphology of certain brain regions may indeed correlate with a number of cognitive skills such as musicality or language ability. The main aim of the present study was to explore the extent to which foreign language aptitude, in particular phonetic coding ability, is influenced by the morphology of Heschl’s gyrus (HG; auditory cortex), working memory capacity, and musical ability. In this study, the auditory cortices of German-speaking individuals (N = 30; 13 males/17 females; aged 20–40 years) with high and low scores in a number of language aptitude tests were compared. The subjects’ language aptitude was measured by three different tests, namely a Hindi speech imitation task (phonetic coding ability), an English pronunciation assessment, and the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT). Furthermore, working memory capacity and musical ability were assessed to reveal their relationship with foreign language aptitude. On the behavioral level, significant correlations were found between phonetic coding ability, English pronunciation skills, musical experience, and language aptitude as measured by the MLAT. Parts of all three tests measuring language aptitude correlated positively and significantly with each other, supporting their validity for measuring components of language aptitude. Remarkably, the number of instruments played by subjects showed significant correlations with all language aptitude measures and musicality, whereas, the number of foreign languages did not show any correlations. With regard to the neuroanatomy of auditory cortex, adults with very high scores in the Hindi testing and the musicality test (AMMA) demonstrated a clear predominance of complete posterior HG duplications in the right hemisphere. This may reignite the discussion of the importance of the right hemisphere for language processing, especially when linked or common resources are involved, such as the inter-dependency between phonetic and musical aptitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Turker
- Centre for Systematic Musicology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | | | - Peter Schneider
- Section of Biomagnetism, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,Division of Neuroradiology, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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20
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Carey D, Miquel ME, Evans BG, Adank P, McGettigan C. Functional brain outcomes of L2 speech learning emerge during sensorimotor transformation. Neuroimage 2017; 159:18-31. [PMID: 28669904 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.06.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensorimotor transformation (ST) may be a critical process in mapping perceived speech input onto non-native (L2) phonemes, in support of subsequent speech production. Yet, little is known concerning the role of ST with respect to L2 speech, particularly where learned L2 phones (e.g., vowels) must be produced in more complex lexical contexts (e.g., multi-syllabic words). Here, we charted the behavioral and neural outcomes of producing trained L2 vowels at word level, using a speech imitation paradigm and functional MRI. We asked whether participants would be able to faithfully imitate trained L2 vowels when they occurred in non-words of varying complexity (one or three syllables). Moreover, we related individual differences in imitation success during training to BOLD activation during ST (i.e., pre-imitation listening), and during later imitation. We predicted that superior temporal and peri-Sylvian speech regions would show increased activation as a function of item complexity and non-nativeness of vowels, during ST. We further anticipated that pre-scan acoustic learning performance would predict BOLD activation for non-native (vs. native) speech during ST and imitation. We found individual differences in imitation success for training on the non-native vowel tokens in isolation; these were preserved in a subsequent task, during imitation of mono- and trisyllabic words containing those vowels. fMRI data revealed a widespread network involved in ST, modulated by both vowel nativeness and utterance complexity: superior temporal activation increased monotonically with complexity, showing greater activation for non-native than native vowels when presented in isolation and in trisyllables, but not in monosyllables. Individual differences analyses showed that learning versus lack of improvement on the non-native vowel during pre-scan training predicted increased ST activation for non-native compared with native items, at insular cortex, pre-SMA/SMA, and cerebellum. Our results hold implications for the importance of ST as a process underlying successful imitation of non-native speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Carey
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, TW20 0EX, UK; Combined Universities Brain Imaging Centre, Royal Holloway, University of London, TW20 0EX, UK; The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), Dept. Medical Gerontology, TCD, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Marc E Miquel
- William Harvey Research Institute, Queen Mary, University of London, EC1M 6BQ, UK; Clinical Physics, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, EC1A 7BE, UK
| | - Bronwen G Evans
- Department of Speech, Hearing & Phonetic Sciences, University College London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Patti Adank
- Department of Speech, Hearing & Phonetic Sciences, University College London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Carolyn McGettigan
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, TW20 0EX, UK; Combined Universities Brain Imaging Centre, Royal Holloway, University of London, TW20 0EX, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, WC1N 3AR, UK.
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21
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Mayer KM, Macedonia M, von Kriegstein K. Recently learned foreign abstract and concrete nouns are represented in distinct cortical networks similar to the native language. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:4398-4412. [PMID: 28580681 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
In the native language, abstract and concrete nouns are represented in distinct areas of the cerebral cortex. Currently, it is unknown whether this is also the case for abstract and concrete nouns of a foreign language. Here, we taught adult native speakers of German 45 abstract and 45 concrete nouns of a foreign language. After learning the nouns for 5 days, participants performed a vocabulary translation task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Translating abstract nouns in contrast to concrete nouns elicited responses in regions that are also responsive to abstract nouns in the native language: the left inferior frontal gyrus and the left middle and superior temporal gyri. Concrete nouns elicited larger responses in the angular gyri bilaterally and the left parahippocampal gyrus than abstract nouns. The cluster in the left angular gyrus showed psychophysiological interaction (PPI) with the left lingual gyrus. The left parahippocampal gyrus showed PPI with the posterior cingulate cortex. Similar regions have been previously found for concrete nouns in the native language. The results reveal similarities in the cortical representation of foreign language nouns with the representation of native language nouns that already occur after 5 days of vocabulary learning. Furthermore, we showed that verbal and enriched learning methods were equally suitable to teach foreign abstract and concrete nouns. Hum Brain Mapp 38:4398-4412, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja M Mayer
- MPRG Neural Mechanisms of Human Communication, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute for Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Manuela Macedonia
- MPRG Neural Mechanisms of Human Communication, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Institute for Information Engineering, Johannes-Kepler-University Linz, Linz, Austria
| | - Katharina von Kriegstein
- MPRG Neural Mechanisms of Human Communication, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Psychology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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22
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Early bilingualism, language attainment, and brain development. Neuropsychologia 2017; 98:220-227. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2016.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2016] [Revised: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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23
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Vandermosten M, Price CJ, Golestani N. Plasticity of white matter connectivity in phonetics experts. Brain Struct Funct 2016; 221:3825-33. [PMID: 26386692 PMCID: PMC5009160 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1114-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2014] [Accepted: 08/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Phonetics experts are highly trained to analyze and transcribe speech, both with respect to faster changing, phonetic features, and to more slowly changing, prosodic features. Previously we reported that, compared to non-phoneticians, phoneticians had greater local brain volume in bilateral auditory cortices and the left pars opercularis of Broca's area, with training-related differences in the grey-matter volume of the left pars opercularis in the phoneticians group (Golestani et al. 2011). In the present study, we used diffusion MRI to examine white matter microstructure, indexed by fractional anisotropy, in (1) the long segment of arcuate fasciculus (AF_long), which is a well-known language tract that connects Broca's area, including left pars opercularis, to the temporal cortex, and in (2) the fibers arising from the auditory cortices. Most of these auditory fibers belong to three validated language tracts, namely to the AF_long, the posterior segment of the arcuate fasciculus and the middle longitudinal fasciculus. We found training-related differences in phoneticians in left AF_long, as well as group differences relative to non-experts in the auditory fibers (including the auditory fibers belonging to the left AF_long). Taken together, the results of both studies suggest that grey matter structural plasticity arising from phonetic transcription training in Broca's area is accompanied by changes to the white matter fibers connecting this very region to the temporal cortex. Our findings suggest expertise-related changes in white matter fibers connecting fronto-temporal functional hubs that are important for phonetic processing. Further studies can pursue this hypothesis by examining the dynamics of these expertise related grey and white matter changes as they arise during phonetic training.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Cathy J Price
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Narly Golestani
- Brain and Language Lab, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Campus Biotech, University of Geneva, 9 Chemin des Mines, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland.
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24
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The Left, The Better: White-Matter Brain Integrity Predicts Foreign Language Imitation Ability. Cereb Cortex 2016; 27:3906-3917. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2016] [Accepted: 02/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
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25
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Pisanski K, Cartei V, McGettigan C, Raine J, Reby D. Voice Modulation: A Window into the Origins of Human Vocal Control? Trends Cogn Sci 2016; 20:304-318. [PMID: 26857619 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2016.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
An unresolved issue in comparative approaches to speech evolution is the apparent absence of an intermediate vocal communication system between human speech and the less flexible vocal repertoires of other primates. We argue that humans' ability to modulate nonverbal vocal features evolutionarily linked to expression of body size and sex (fundamental and formant frequencies) provides a largely overlooked window into the nature of this intermediate system. Recent behavioral and neural evidence indicates that humans' vocal control abilities, commonly assumed to subserve speech, extend to these nonverbal dimensions. This capacity appears in continuity with context-dependent frequency modulations recently identified in other mammals, including primates, and may represent a living relic of early vocal control abilities that led to articulated human speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Pisanski
- Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK; Institute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Valentina Cartei
- Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - Carolyn McGettigan
- Royal Holloway Vocal Communication Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Jordan Raine
- Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
| | - David Reby
- Mammal Vocal Communication and Cognition Research Group, School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
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26
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Belyk M, Pfordresher PQ, Liotti M, Brown S. The Neural Basis of Vocal Pitch Imitation in Humans. J Cogn Neurosci 2015; 28:621-35. [PMID: 26696298 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Vocal imitation is a phenotype that is unique to humans among all primate species, and so an understanding of its neural basis is critical in explaining the emergence of both speech and song in human evolution. Two principal neural models of vocal imitation have emerged from a consideration of nonhuman animals. One hypothesis suggests that putative mirror neurons in the inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis of Broca's area may be important for imitation. An alternative hypothesis derived from the study of songbirds suggests that the corticostriate motor pathway performs sensorimotor processes that are specific to vocal imitation. Using fMRI with a sparse event-related sampling design, we investigated the neural basis of vocal imitation in humans by comparing imitative vocal production of pitch sequences with both nonimitative vocal production and pitch discrimination. The strongest difference between these tasks was found in the putamen bilaterally, providing a striking parallel to the role of the analogous region in songbirds. Other areas preferentially activated during imitation included the orofacial motor cortex, Rolandic operculum, and SMA, which together outline the corticostriate motor loop. No differences were seen in the inferior frontal gyrus. The corticostriate system thus appears to be the central pathway for vocal imitation in humans, as predicted from an analogy with songbirds.
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27
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The timing of language learning shapes brain structure associated with articulation. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:3591-600. [DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1121-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 09/22/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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28
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Christiner M, Reiterer SM. A Mozart is not a Pavarotti: singers outperform instrumentalists on foreign accent imitation. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:482. [PMID: 26379537 PMCID: PMC4551832 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 08/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Recent findings have shown that people with higher musical aptitude were also better in oral language imitation tasks. However, whether singing capacity and instrument playing contribute differently to the imitation of speech has been ignored so far. Research has just recently started to understand that instrumentalists develop quite distinct skills when compared to vocalists. In the same vein the role of the vocal motor system in language acquisition processes has poorly been investigated as most investigations (neurobiological and behavioral) favor to examine speech perception. We set out to test whether the vocal motor system can influence an ability to learn, produce and perceive new languages by contrasting instrumentalists and vocalists. Therefore, we investigated 96 participants, 27 instrumentalists, 33 vocalists and 36 non-musicians/non-singers. They were tested for their abilities to imitate foreign speech: unknown language (Hindi), second language (English) and their musical aptitude. Results revealed that both instrumentalists and vocalists have a higher ability to imitate unintelligible speech and foreign accents than non-musicians/non-singers. Within the musician group, vocalists outperformed instrumentalists significantly. CONCLUSION First, adaptive plasticity for speech imitation is not reliant on audition alone but also on vocal-motor induced processes. Second, vocal flexibility of singers goes together with higher speech imitation aptitude. Third, vocal motor training, as of singers, may speed up foreign language acquisition processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Christiner
- Department of Linguistics, Unit for Language Learning and Teaching Research (SLLF), University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
| | - Susanne Maria Reiterer
- Department of Linguistics, Unit for Language Learning and Teaching Research (SLLF), University of Vienna Vienna, Austria ; Centre for Teacher Education, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria
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29
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Neural activation in speech production and reading aloud in native and non-native languages. Neuroimage 2015; 112:208-217. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2014] [Revised: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 03/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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30
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Hu X, Ackermann H, Martin JA, Erb M, Winkler S, Reiterer SM. Language aptitude for pronunciation in advanced second language (L2) learners: behavioural predictors and neural substrates. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2013; 127:366-376. [PMID: 23273501 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2012.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2012] [Revised: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 11/05/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Individual differences in second language (L2) aptitude have been assumed to depend upon a variety of cognitive and personality factors. Especially, the cognitive factor phonological working memory has been conceptualised as language learning device. However, strong associations between phonological working memory and L2 aptitude have been previously found in early-stage learners only, not in advanced learners. The current study aimed at investigating the behavioural and neurobiological predictors of advanced L2 learning. Our behavioural results showed that phonetic coding ability and empathy, but not phonological working memory, predict L2 pronunciation aptitude in advanced learners. Second, functional neuroimaging revealed this behavioural trait to be correlated with hemodynamic responses of the cerebral network of speech motor control and auditory-perceptual areas. We suggest that the acquisition of L2 pronunciation aptitude is a dynamic process, requiring a variety of neural resources at different processing stages over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaochen Hu
- Research Group Neurophonetics, Department of General Neurology, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Germany; MR Research Group, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University of Tübingen, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Germany.
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31
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Reiterer SM, Hu X, Sumathi TA, Singh NC. Are you a good mimic? Neuro-acoustic signatures for speech imitation ability. Front Psychol 2013; 4:782. [PMID: 24155739 PMCID: PMC3804907 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2013] [Accepted: 10/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated individual differences in speech imitation ability in late bilinguals using a neuro-acoustic approach. One hundred and thirty-eight German-English bilinguals matched on various behavioral measures were tested for "speech imitation ability" in a foreign language, Hindi, and categorized into "high" and "low ability" groups. Brain activations and speech recordings were obtained from 26 participants from the two extreme groups as they performed a functional neuroimaging experiment which required them to "imitate" sentences in three conditions: (A) German, (B) English, and (C) German with fake English accent. We used recently developed novel acoustic analysis, namely the "articulation space" as a metric to compare speech imitation abilities of the two groups. Across all three conditions, direct comparisons between the two groups, revealed brain activations (FWE corrected, p < 0.05) that were more widespread with significantly higher peak activity in the left supramarginal gyrus and postcentral areas for the low ability group. The high ability group, on the other hand showed significantly larger articulation space in all three conditions. In addition, articulation space also correlated positively with imitation ability (Pearson's r = 0.7, p < 0.01). Our results suggest that an expanded articulation space for high ability individuals allows access to a larger repertoire of sounds, thereby providing skilled imitators greater flexibility in pronunciation and language learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne M Reiterer
- Unit for Language Learning and Teaching Research, Faculty of Philological and Cultural Studies, University of Vienna Vienna, Austria ; Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University Clinic Tübingen Tübingen, Germany
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Sato M, Grabski K, Garnier M, Granjon L, Schwartz JL, Nguyen N. Converging toward a common speech code: imitative and perceptuo-motor recalibration processes in speech production. Front Psychol 2013; 4:422. [PMID: 23874316 PMCID: PMC3708162 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00422] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Auditory and somatosensory systems play a key role in speech motor control. In the act of speaking, segmental speech movements are programmed to reach phonemic sensory goals, which in turn are used to estimate actual sensory feedback in order to further control production. The adult's tendency to automatically imitate a number of acoustic-phonetic characteristics in another speaker's speech however suggests that speech production not only relies on the intended phonemic sensory goals and actual sensory feedback but also on the processing of external speech inputs. These online adaptive changes in speech production, or phonetic convergence effects, are thought to facilitate conversational exchange by contributing to setting a common perceptuo-motor ground between the speaker and the listener. In line with previous studies on phonetic convergence, we here demonstrate, in a non-interactive situation of communication, online unintentional and voluntary imitative changes in relevant acoustic features of acoustic vowel targets (fundamental and first formant frequencies) during speech production and imitation. In addition, perceptuo-motor recalibration processes, or after-effects, occurred not only after vowel production and imitation but also after auditory categorization of the acoustic vowel targets. Altogether, these findings demonstrate adaptive plasticity of phonemic sensory-motor goals and suggest that, apart from sensory-motor knowledge, speech production continuously draws on perceptual learning from the external speech environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Sato
- Grenoble Images Parole Signal Automatique-LAB, Département Parole and Cognition, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Grenoble UniversitéGrenoble, France
| | - Krystyna Grabski
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music, McGill UniversityMontreal, QC, Canada
| | - Maëva Garnier
- Grenoble Images Parole Signal Automatique-LAB, Département Parole and Cognition, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Grenoble UniversitéGrenoble, France
| | - Lionel Granjon
- Laboratoire Psychologie de la Perception, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, École Normale SupérieureParis, France
| | - Jean-Luc Schwartz
- Grenoble Images Parole Signal Automatique-LAB, Département Parole and Cognition, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Grenoble UniversitéGrenoble, France
| | - Noël Nguyen
- Laboratoire Parole and Langage, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Aix-Marseille UniversitéAix-en-Provence, France
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McGettigan C, Eisner F, Agnew ZK, Manly T, Wisbey D, Scott SK. T'ain't what you say, it's the way that you say it--left insula and inferior frontal cortex work in interaction with superior temporal regions to control the performance of vocal impersonations. J Cogn Neurosci 2013; 25:1875-86. [PMID: 23691984 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Historically, the study of human identity perception has focused on faces, but the voice is also central to our expressions and experiences of identity [Belin, P., Fecteau, S., & Bedard, C. Thinking the voice: Neural correlates of voice perception. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8, 129-135, 2004]. Our voices are highly flexible and dynamic; talkers speak differently, depending on their health, emotional state, and the social setting, as well as extrinsic factors such as background noise. However, to date, there have been no studies of the neural correlates of identity modulation in speech production. In the current fMRI experiment, we measured the neural activity supporting controlled voice change in adult participants performing spoken impressions. We reveal that deliberate modulation of vocal identity recruits the left anterior insula and inferior frontal gyrus, supporting the planning of novel articulations. Bilateral sites in posterior superior temporal/inferior parietal cortex and a region in right middle/anterior STS showed greater responses during the emulation of specific vocal identities than for impressions of generic accents. Using functional connectivity analyses, we describe roles for these three sites in their interactions with the brain regions supporting speech planning and production. Our findings mark a significant step toward understanding the neural control of vocal identity, with wider implications for the cognitive control of voluntary motor acts.
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Ziegler W, Ackermann H. Neuromotor Speech Impairment: It's All in the Talking. Folia Phoniatr Logop 2013; 65:55-67. [DOI: 10.1159/000353855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Kempe V, Thoresen JC, Kirk NW, Schaeffler F, Brooks PJ. Individual differences in the discrimination of novel speech sounds: effects of sex, temporal processing, musical and cognitive abilities. PLoS One 2012; 7:e48623. [PMID: 23139806 PMCID: PMC3489723 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0048623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
This study examined whether rapid temporal auditory processing, verbal working memory capacity, non-verbal intelligence, executive functioning, musical ability and prior foreign language experience predicted how well native English speakers (N = 120) discriminated Norwegian tonal and vowel contrasts as well as a non-speech analogue of the tonal contrast and a native vowel contrast presented over noise. Results confirmed a male advantage for temporal and tonal processing, and also revealed that temporal processing was associated with both non-verbal intelligence and speech processing. In contrast, effects of musical ability on non-native speech-sound processing and of inhibitory control on vowel discrimination were not mediated by temporal processing. These results suggest that individual differences in non-native speech-sound processing are to some extent determined by temporal auditory processing ability, in which males perform better, but are also determined by a host of other abilities that are deployed flexibly depending on the characteristics of the target sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Kempe
- University of Abertay Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom.
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Reiterer S, Pereda E, Bhattacharya J. On a Possible Relationship between Linguistic Expertise and EEG Gamma Band Phase Synchrony. Front Psychol 2011; 2:334. [PMID: 22125542 PMCID: PMC3222221 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2011] [Accepted: 10/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has shown that extensive training in and exposure to a second language can modify the language organization in the brain by causing both structural and functional changes. However it is not yet known how these changes are manifested by the dynamic brain oscillations and synchronization patterns subserving the language networks. In search for synchronization correlates of proficiency and expertise in second language acquisition, multivariate EEG signals were recorded from 44 high and low proficiency bilinguals during processing of natural language in their first and second languages. Gamma band (30-45 Hz) phase synchronization (PS) was calculated mainly by two recently developed methods: coarse-graining of Markov chains (estimating global phase synchrony, measuring the degree of PS between one electrode and all other electrodes), and phase lag index (PLI; estimating bivariate phase synchrony, measuring the degree of PS between a pair of electrodes). On comparing second versus first language processing, global PS by coarse-graining Markov chains indicated that processing of the second language needs significantly higher synchronization strength than first language. On comparing the proficiency groups, bivariate PS measure (i.e., PLI) revealed that during second language processing the low proficiency group showed stronger and broader network patterns than the high proficiency group, with interconnectivities between a left fronto-parietal network. Mean phase coherence analysis also indicated that the network activity was globally stronger in the low proficiency group during second language processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Reiterer
- Department for English Linguistics, Center for Linguistics, University of TübingenGermany
- Department of English Studies, University of ViennaVienna, Austria
| | - Ernesto Pereda
- Department of Basic Physics, University of La LagunaTenerife, Spain
| | - Joydeep Bhattacharya
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths College, University of LondonLondon, UK
- Commission for Scientific Visualization, Austrian Academy of SciencesVienna, Austria
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