Native-language N400 and P600 predict dissociable language-learning abilities in adults

Language learning aptitude during adulthood varies markedly across individuals. An individual's native-language ability has been associated with success in learning a new language as an adult. However, little is known about how native-language processing affects learning success and what neural...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Qi, Zhenghan (Contributor), Finn, Amy Sue (Contributor), Minas, Jennifer (Contributor), Goetz, Calvin (Contributor), Chan, Brian (Contributor), Gabrieli, John D. E. (Contributor)
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences (Contributor), McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT (Contributor), Gabrieli John (Contributor)
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier, 2018-10-04T15:00:15Z.
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Online Access:Get fulltext
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042 |a dc 
100 1 0 |a Qi, Zhenghan  |e author 
100 1 0 |a Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Gabrieli John  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Qi, Zhenghan  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Finn, Amy Sue  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Minas, Jennifer  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Goetz, Calvin  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Chan, Brian  |e contributor 
100 1 0 |a Gabrieli, John D. E.  |e contributor 
700 1 0 |a Finn, Amy Sue  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Minas, Jennifer  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Goetz, Calvin  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Chan, Brian  |e author 
700 1 0 |a Gabrieli, John D. E.  |e author 
245 0 0 |a Native-language N400 and P600 predict dissociable language-learning abilities in adults 
260 |b Elsevier,   |c 2018-10-04T15:00:15Z. 
856 |z Get fulltext  |u http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/118353 
520 |a Language learning aptitude during adulthood varies markedly across individuals. An individual's native-language ability has been associated with success in learning a new language as an adult. However, little is known about how native-language processing affects learning success and what neural markers of native-language processing, if any, are related to success in learning. We therefore related variation in electrophysiology during native-language processing to success in learning a novel artificial language. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded while native English speakers judged the acceptability of English sentences prior to learning an artificial language. There was a trend towards a double dissociation between native-language ERPs and their relationships to novel syntax and vocabulary learning. Individuals who exhibited a greater N400 effect when processing English semantics showed better future learning of the artificial language overall. The N400 effect was related to syntax learning via its specific relationship to vocabulary learning. In contrast, the P600 effect size when processing English syntax predicted future syntax learning but not vocabulary learning. These findings show that distinct neural signatures of native-language processing relate to dissociable abilities for learning novel semantic and syntactic information. Keywords: Event-related potential; N400; P600; Adult language learning; Individual differences 
546 |a en_US 
655 7 |a Article 
773 |t Neuropsychologia