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Neural correlates for naming disadvantage of the dominant language in bilingual word production

Authors :
Guosheng Ding
Taomei Guo
Di Lu
Junjie Wu
Yongben Fu
Fengyang Ma
Chunyan Kang
Source :
Brain and Language. 175:123-129
Publication Year :
2017
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2017.

Abstract

The present study investigated the neural correlates of naming disadvantage of the dominant language under the mixed language context. Twenty one unbalanced Chinese-English bilinguals completed a cued picture naming task while being scanned with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Behavioral results showed that naming pictures in the second lanuage (L2) was significantly slower than naming pictures in the first language (L1) under a single language context. When comparing picture naming in L2 to naming in L1, enhanced activity in the left inferior parietal lobule and left cerebellum was observed. On the contrary, naming pictures in Chinese (L1) was significantly slower than naming in English (L2) under the mixed language context. The fMRI results showed that bilateral inferior frontal gyri, right middle frontal gyrus, and right supplementary motor area were activated to a greater extent in L1 than in L2. These results suggest that the dominant language is inhibited to a greater extent to ensure the production of the second language under the mixed language context. Therefore, more attentional control resources are recruited when bilinguals produced the dominant language. The present study, for the first time, reveals neural correlates of L1 naming disadvantage under the mixed language context.

Details

ISSN :
0093934X
Volume :
175
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Brain and Language
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....8764bc2957a4d545fa247923c606072e