Neural similarities and differences between native and second languages in the bilateral fusiform cortex in Chinese-English bilinguals

Orthographic and phonological processing in the left ventral occipitotemporal cortex during Chinese word reading

The left ventral occipitotemporal cortex (lvOT) has been consistently identified as a crucial structure in word reading, and its function varies across subregions. Nevertheless, the specific function of the lvOT and its subregions remains controversial because the obvious grapheme-to-phoneme correspondence rules of alphabetic languages make it difficult to disentangle the contributions of orthography and phonology to neural activations. To explore information processing in lvOT subregions, the present study manipulated the orthography and phonology in a factorial design and used the fMRI rapid adaptation paradigm. The results revealed a posterior-to-anterior functional gradient in lvOT in Chinese word reading and specified that the functional transition from sublexical to lexical processing occurred in the middle subregion close to the classic VWFA. More importantly, we found that the middle and posterior subregions of lvOT are responsible for processing both orthographic and phonological information during Chinese word reading. These results elaborated the function of the lvOT in Chinese word reading.

Phonological properties of logographic words modulate brain activation in bilinguals: a comparative study of Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji

The brain networks for the first (L1) and second (L2) languages are dynamically formed in the bilingual brain. This study delves into the neural mechanisms associated with logographic-logographic bilingualism, where both languages employ visually complex and conceptually rich logographic scripts. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, we examined the brain activity of Chinese-Japanese bilinguals and Japanese-Chinese bilinguals as they engaged in rhyming tasks with Chinese characters and Japanese Kanji. Results showed that Japanese-Chinese bilinguals processed both languages using common brain areas, demonstrating an assimilation pattern, whereas Chinese-Japanese bilinguals recruited additional neural regions in the left lateral prefrontal cortex for processing Japanese Kanji, reflecting their accommodation to the higher phonological complexity of L2. In addition, Japanese speakers relied more on the phonological processing route, while Chinese speakers favored visual form analysis for both languages, indicating differing neural strategy preferences between the 2 bilingual groups. Moreover, multivariate pattern analysis demonstrated that, despite the considerable neural overlap, each bilingual group formed distinguishable neural representations for each language. These findings highlight the brain's capacity for neural adaptability and specificity when processing complex logographic languages, enriching our understanding of the neural underpinnings supporting bilingual language processing.

The implications of internet-based Chinese language courses on online classes

Interactionist and social-cultural perspectives on second language acquisition suggest that interactions between teachers and students offer promising avenues for acquiring Chinese as a second language, which the vast majority of international students consider difficult. Computer-mediated communication is far safer than face-to-face encounters during the present pandemic. Three aims are being investigated here. It is important to first analyze the differences between traditional classroom and online learning by different modes, then analyze the various ways teachers use computer-mediated communication, and finally analyze the challenges and opportunities presented by online Chinese as a second language courses using qualitative research methods. Three teachers and 84 students are analyzed statistically in terms of their multimodal interactions, and the quality of their weekly classroom exchanges is assessed through an interpretive analysis of questionnaire data, all in the name of a mixed-methods approach. Particular attention was paid to the challenges of online tutoring for students, the discrepancy between instructor and student understandings, and the use of several teaching strategies with international students. The online classroom environment places unique demands on the quality of student-teacher communication. Different strategies must be used when teaching non-native speakers of Chinese as a second language compared to teaching in a traditional classroom setting.

Beyond the language network: Associations between reading, receptive vocabulary, and grey matter volume in 10-year-olds

Most research on the neurostructural basis of language abilities in children stems from small samples and surface-based measures. To complement and expand the existent knowledge, we investigated associations between grey matter volume and language performance in a large sample of 9-to-11-year-old children, using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study (N = 1865) and an alternative measure of grey matter morphology. We estimated whole-brain grey matter volume for one half of the sample (N = 939) and tested for correlations with scores on a picture vocabulary and a letter and word reading test, with and without factoring in general intelligence and total grey matter volume as additional covariates. The initial analyses yielded correlations between grey matter in the right occipital fusiform gyrus, the right lingual gyrus, and the cerebellum for both vocabulary and reading. Employing the significant clusters from the first analyses as regions of interest in the second half of the cohort (N = 926) in correlational and multiple regression analyses suggests the cluster in the right occipital fusiform and lingual gyri to be most robust. Overall, the amount of variance explained by grey matter volume is limited and factoring in additional covariates paints an inconsistent picture. The present findings reinforce existent doubt with respect to explaining individual differences in reading and vocabulary performance based on unique contributions of macrostructural brain features.

Stimulus Repetition and Sample Size Considerations in Item-Level Representational Similarity Analysis

In studies using representational similarity analysis (RSA) of fMRI data, the reliability of the neural representational dissimilarity matrix (RDM) is a limiting factor in the ability to detect neural correlates of a model. A common strategy for boosting neural RDM reliability is to employ repeated presentations of the stimulus set across imaging runs or sessions. However, little is known about how the benefits of stimulus repetition are affected by repetition suppression, or how they compare with the benefits of increasing the number of participants. We examined the effects of these design parameters in two large data sets where participants performed a semantic decision task on visually presented words. We found that reliability gains from stimulus repetition were strongly affected by repetition suppression, both within and across scanning sessions separated by multiple weeks. The results provide new insights into these experimental design choices, particularly for item-level RSA studies of semantic cognition.