Second language learners recall native language when reading

[Francis Hult]

EurekAlert

 

Second language learners recall native language when reading

 

Adults fluent in English whose first language is Chinese retrieve their native language when reading in English, according to new research in the June 2 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. This study suggests that people who learn a second language in adolescence or later recall the sounds of words from their native language. 

 

The scientists who conducted the study, Yan Jing Wu, PhD, and Guillaume Thierry, PhD, of Bangor University in the United Kingdom, said their work helps researchers understand how the brain manages symbols and sounds in different languages. Thierry explained that although most bilingual people believe they function solely in one language at any given time, these findings show that it is not necessarily the case. 

 

Full story:

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-06/sfn-sll060110.php

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