Examining the relationships between speaking ability and brain activity of second language learners.

2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23652147
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Foreign language education
• Research Institution: Waseda University
• Principal Investigator: MANALO Emmanuel 早稲田大学, 理工学術院, 教授 (30580386)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): YOKOYAMA Satoru 東北大学, 加齢医学研究所, 助教 (20451627) ; TANAKA-ELLIS Nobue 早稲田大学, 理工学術院, 助教 (70593698)
• Project Period (FY): 2011 – 2012
• Keywords: 第二言語スピーキング / 第一言語スピーキング / 脳活動 / 脳機能イメージング / 発話の行動指標

Research Abstract

This study examined whether second language (L2) speech proficiency measures might have corresponding biological bases. The participants were 55 Japanese university students with Japanese as first language (L1) and English as L2. They described pictures, using L1 and L2 (in different sessions), while fMRI brain scans were taken. The results indicate that L2 speech production requires more brain resources compared to L1 speech production. Preliminary data analyses also provide evidence that L2 proficiency indices are linked to variations in brain activity. Complexity in L2 speech (production of more elaborate utterances) was related to activation in the left hemisphere around Broca's area, while lack of fluency (high use of filled pauses in speech) and use of unfamiliar words in the L2 were both linked to some activation in the anterior part of Wernicke's area. These findings could help in the development of more efficacious instructional strategies for promoting L2 speech acquisition.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Cross linguistic influence of first language writing systems on brain responses to second language word reading in late bilinguals (2013)
  • Author(s): Yokoyama, S., Kim, J., Uchida, S., Miyamoto, T., Yoshimoto, K., & Kawashima, R
  • Journal Title: Brain and Behavior Volume: 3 Pages: 525-531
  • DOI: 10.1002/brb3.153
• [Journal Article] 習熟度の異なる日本人英語学習者による英文理解過程 (2012)
  • Author(s): 横山悟, エマニュエルマナロ, 田中エリス伸枝, 高橋慶, 橋爪寛, 鄭嫣婷, 川島隆太
  • Journal Title: 電子情報通信学会技術研究報告 Volume: 112 (145) Pages: 13-17
• [Journal Article] An approach to second language acquisition from cognitive neuroscience (2012)
  • Author(s): Yokoyama, S., Jeong, H., Ojima, S., Chiba, K., Manalo, E., & Yoshimoto, K
  • Journal Title: Proceedings of the 29th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Cognitive Science Society Pages: 58-65
• [Presentation] 第二言語習得への脳認知科学からのアプローチ (2012)
  • Author(s): 吉本啓, 横山悟, ジョンヒョンジョン
  • Organizer: 日本認知科学会第29回大会
  • Place of Presentation: 日本, 仙台.(企画・司会)
  • Year and Date: 2012-12-15
• [Presentation] Do variations in L2 speaking performance correspond to detectable differences in brain activity?
  • Author(s): Manalo, E
  • Organizer: Paper presented at the 29th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Cognitive Science Society
  • Place of Presentation: Sendai, Japan
  • Year and Date: 00001213-15