Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN): A longitudinal ERP study

Andreas Højlund; Nynne Thorup Horn; Stine Derdau Sørensen; William B. McGregor; Mikkel Wallentin

doi:10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100138

Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN): A longitudinal ERP study

Andreas Højlund^*, Nynne Thorup Horn, Stine Derdau Sørensen, William B. McGregor, Mikkel Wallentin

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Clinical Medicine - Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience
School of Communication and Culture - Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics
Department of Clinical Medicine - Interacting Minds Centre (IMC)

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

An early component of the auditory event-related potential (ERP), the mismatch negativity (MMN), has been shown to be sensitive to native phonemic sound contrasts. The potential changes to this neural sensitivity from foreign language learning have only been marginally studied. The existing research seems to suggest that the neural sensitivity as indexed by the MMN can adapt to foreign language sound contrasts with very target-specific training, but whether the effects are long-lasting or generalize to proper foreign language learning is yet to be investigated in a viable longitudinal study design. We therefore recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from two groups of language officer cadets (learning either Arabic (n = 8) or Dari (n = 12)) while they listened to speech sound contrasts from both languages. We recorded their EEG four times over the course of 19 months of intensive foreign language training (immediately before they started, after three weeks, after six months, and after 19 months). We did not find any language-specific effects of learning on the cadets’ MMNs to the speech sound contrasts. We did, however, elicit statistically reliable MMNs to both sound contrasts for both groups at most of the four times of measurement. Furthermore, we found that the Arabic learners’ MMNs to the Arabic stimuli diminished over time, and that the Dari learners’ P3a responses to the Arabic stimuli diminished over time. Correlating the participants’ MMNs with their behavioral responses to the language stimuli did not reveal any strong links between behavior and neurophysiology. However, those Dari learners whose MMNs to the Dari stimuli increased the most within the first three weeks, also received the highest grades on a listening task after 17 weeks.

Original language	English
Article number	100138
Journal	NeuroImage: Reports
Volume	2
Issue	4
ISSN	2666-9560
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100138
Publication status	Published - Dec 2022

Keywords

Event-related potential (ERP)
Foreign language learning
Longitudinal
Mismatch negativity (MMN)
Speech perception

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@article{729c5d0deb5f4048a3e3f913ca059ca3,

title = "Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN): A longitudinal ERP study",

abstract = "An early component of the auditory event-related potential (ERP), the mismatch negativity (MMN), has been shown to be sensitive to native phonemic sound contrasts. The potential changes to this neural sensitivity from foreign language learning have only been marginally studied. The existing research seems to suggest that the neural sensitivity as indexed by the MMN can adapt to foreign language sound contrasts with very target-specific training, but whether the effects are long-lasting or generalize to proper foreign language learning is yet to be investigated in a viable longitudinal study design. We therefore recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from two groups of language officer cadets (learning either Arabic (n = 8) or Dari (n = 12)) while they listened to speech sound contrasts from both languages. We recorded their EEG four times over the course of 19 months of intensive foreign language training (immediately before they started, after three weeks, after six months, and after 19 months). We did not find any language-specific effects of learning on the cadets{\textquoteright} MMNs to the speech sound contrasts. We did, however, elicit statistically reliable MMNs to both sound contrasts for both groups at most of the four times of measurement. Furthermore, we found that the Arabic learners{\textquoteright} MMNs to the Arabic stimuli diminished over time, and that the Dari learners{\textquoteright} P3a responses to the Arabic stimuli diminished over time. Correlating the participants{\textquoteright} MMNs with their behavioral responses to the language stimuli did not reveal any strong links between behavior and neurophysiology. However, those Dari learners whose MMNs to the Dari stimuli increased the most within the first three weeks, also received the highest grades on a listening task after 17 weeks.",

keywords = "Event-related potential (ERP), Foreign language learning, Longitudinal, Mismatch negativity (MMN), Speech perception",

author = "Andreas H{\o}jlund and Horn, {Nynne Thorup} and S{\o}rensen, {Stine Derdau} and McGregor, {William B.} and Mikkel Wallentin",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Authors",

year = "2022",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100138",

language = "English",

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T1 - Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN)

T2 - A longitudinal ERP study

AU - Højlund, Andreas

AU - Horn, Nynne Thorup

AU - Sørensen, Stine Derdau

AU - McGregor, William B.

AU - Wallentin, Mikkel

PY - 2022/12

Y1 - 2022/12

N2 - An early component of the auditory event-related potential (ERP), the mismatch negativity (MMN), has been shown to be sensitive to native phonemic sound contrasts. The potential changes to this neural sensitivity from foreign language learning have only been marginally studied. The existing research seems to suggest that the neural sensitivity as indexed by the MMN can adapt to foreign language sound contrasts with very target-specific training, but whether the effects are long-lasting or generalize to proper foreign language learning is yet to be investigated in a viable longitudinal study design. We therefore recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from two groups of language officer cadets (learning either Arabic (n = 8) or Dari (n = 12)) while they listened to speech sound contrasts from both languages. We recorded their EEG four times over the course of 19 months of intensive foreign language training (immediately before they started, after three weeks, after six months, and after 19 months). We did not find any language-specific effects of learning on the cadets’ MMNs to the speech sound contrasts. We did, however, elicit statistically reliable MMNs to both sound contrasts for both groups at most of the four times of measurement. Furthermore, we found that the Arabic learners’ MMNs to the Arabic stimuli diminished over time, and that the Dari learners’ P3a responses to the Arabic stimuli diminished over time. Correlating the participants’ MMNs with their behavioral responses to the language stimuli did not reveal any strong links between behavior and neurophysiology. However, those Dari learners whose MMNs to the Dari stimuli increased the most within the first three weeks, also received the highest grades on a listening task after 17 weeks.

AB - An early component of the auditory event-related potential (ERP), the mismatch negativity (MMN), has been shown to be sensitive to native phonemic sound contrasts. The potential changes to this neural sensitivity from foreign language learning have only been marginally studied. The existing research seems to suggest that the neural sensitivity as indexed by the MMN can adapt to foreign language sound contrasts with very target-specific training, but whether the effects are long-lasting or generalize to proper foreign language learning is yet to be investigated in a viable longitudinal study design. We therefore recorded electroencephalography (EEG) from two groups of language officer cadets (learning either Arabic (n = 8) or Dari (n = 12)) while they listened to speech sound contrasts from both languages. We recorded their EEG four times over the course of 19 months of intensive foreign language training (immediately before they started, after three weeks, after six months, and after 19 months). We did not find any language-specific effects of learning on the cadets’ MMNs to the speech sound contrasts. We did, however, elicit statistically reliable MMNs to both sound contrasts for both groups at most of the four times of measurement. Furthermore, we found that the Arabic learners’ MMNs to the Arabic stimuli diminished over time, and that the Dari learners’ P3a responses to the Arabic stimuli diminished over time. Correlating the participants’ MMNs with their behavioral responses to the language stimuli did not reveal any strong links between behavior and neurophysiology. However, those Dari learners whose MMNs to the Dari stimuli increased the most within the first three weeks, also received the highest grades on a listening task after 17 weeks.

KW - Event-related potential (ERP)

KW - Foreign language learning

KW - Longitudinal

KW - Mismatch negativity (MMN)

KW - Speech perception

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DO - 10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100138

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SN - 2666-9560

VL - 2

JO - NeuroImage: Reports

JF - NeuroImage: Reports

IS - 4

M1 - 100138

ER -

Foreign language learning and the mismatch negativity (MMN): A longitudinal ERP study

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Keywords

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