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Mathematical and Linguistic Processing Differs Between Native and Second Languages: An fMRI Study

Brain Imaging and Behavior volume 1, pages 68–82 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

This study investigates the neuro-mechanisms underlying mathematical processing in native (L1) and nonnative (L2) languages. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Mandarin Chinese learners of English were imaged while performing calculations, parity judgments and linguistic tasks in their L1 (Chinese) and L2 (English). Results show that compared to L1, (1) calculation in L2 involves additional neural activation, especially in the left hemisphere, including the inferior frontal gyrus (Broca’s area); (2) parity judgment engages similar regions for both languages, and (3) phonetic discrimination in L2 does not involve the perisylvian language (Broca’s and Wernicke’s) areas. These findings indicate that, calculation in L2, but not parity, can be processed through the L1 system, suggesting that the interaction between language and mathematics involves a specific neurocircuitry when associated with L2.

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Notes

  1. For some early bilinguals, the most dominant language is not their L1. Their “preferred” language for arithmetic tasks is the dominant language in which they acquire mathematical knowledge (Bernardo 2001). For simplicity, in the present article “L1” is used more generally to refer to the most dominant language for both linguistic and mathematical knowledge.

  2. An effort was made to maintain a balanced number of male and female participants, as previous research has discussed the effect of gender on linguistic (Baxter et al. 2003; Frost et al. 1999; Shaywitz et al. 1995; Weiss et al. 2003) and mathematical (e.g., Kucian et al. 2005) processing. However, due to participant availability and the need to control for their level of L2 proficiency, we were not able to recruit equal number of males and females. As our preliminary behavioral analysis did not show gender and language interactions, the male and female data were pooled for subsequent analyses. However, the gender difference should not affect the interpretation of the current results in terms of the differences in math processing in L2 versus L1. Since the present participants performed the tasks in both L1 and L2, they served as their own controls. That is, if gender difference existed in L1 processing, it would be so in L2 processing as well. In our data analysis, we used direct language comparisons for each task, the results of which were presumably the differences only due to language.

  3. It should be noted that the discussion is based on the data at the threshold of p < 0.001 (uncorrected). See also the discussion in the Method section.

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Acknowledgement

We thank Neda Sedora and Melissa Sy for their assistance in data analysis, and Dawn Behne and Allard Jongman for valuable comments. This research was supported by the President’s Research Grant at Simon Fraser University, and the fMRI Research Center at Columbia University. This research has been presented at the First Acoustical Society of America (ASA) Workshop on 2nd Language Speech Learning, by Wang, Y., Hirsch, J., Sy, M., Lin, L., & Sedora, N., 2005, Vancouver, Canada.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Linguistics, Simon Fraser University, RCB 9224, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC, Canada, V5A 1S6

    Yue Wang

  2. Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Lotus Lin & Patricia Kuhl

  3. Department of Radiology, fMRI Research Center, Columbia University, New York, USA

    Joy Hirsch

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  1. Yue Wang
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Wang, Y., Lin, L., Kuhl, P. et al. Mathematical and Linguistic Processing Differs Between Native and Second Languages: An fMRI Study. Brain Imaging and Behavior 1, 68–82 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-007-9007-y

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Keywords

  • Brain processing
  • Mathematics
  • Linguistics
  • Native and nonnative languages
  • fMRI