A Cognitive Neuroscience Approach to Foreign Language Acquisition: Brain Mechanisms of Foreign Language Acquisition through Social Interaction
Presentation Points
- Foreign language learning through interaction with others and its brain mechanisms
- Individual Factors Predicting Success in Foreign Language Acquisition and Their Brain Mechanisms
- Potential Applications for Foreign Language Education Based on Cognitive Neuroscience
Summary
The outbreak of the new coronavirus infection has forced changes on many levels, including economic, labor, financial, and lifestyle. This may actually have a negative impact on our foreign language learning. Being in an environment where language is actually used (interacting with others, touching and smelling things, etc.) is essential for us to learn a language.
Assuming that foreign languages are acquired through interaction with people, objects, and their surroundings, as is the case with native languages, this study attempted to elucidate the neural basis involved in language acquisition from social situations using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The results revealed that when language is learned from interactions with others, sensory, emotional, and social cognitive systems support language learning and promote conceptual memory retention more than traditional language learning that relies on translation and memorization.
They also found that a high degree of involvement of nonverbal systems (e.g., motor and social cognition) in the early stages of learning predicts successful language acquisition (Jeong et at.,2021, Brain and Language). We also scrutinized previous research on brain networks underlying social interaction and native language acquisition, and discussed the importance of learning language in the context of social interaction and its potential application to education from a neuroscience perspective (Li & Jeong 2020, npj Science of Learning).
Publication, publication, etc.
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Jeong H, Li P, Suzuki W, Sugiura M, Kawashima R. (2021). Neural mechanisms of language learning from social contexts, Brain and Language, 212, 104874
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104874 -
Li, P., & Jeong, H. (2020). The social brain of language: Grounding second language learning in social interaction. npj Science of Learning 5(1)
URL:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-020-0068-7
contact information
- Jeong Hyeonjeong (Applied Linguistic Research Chair)
- jeong(at)tohoku.ac.jp
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