An Introduction to the Cognitive Neuroscience of Second and Artificial Language Learning

Abstract

Besides acquiring one's first language(s) in infancy, learning an additional language at a later point in life is one of the most fascinating accomplishments of the human mind. It is so fascinating that it verges on the miraculous. Scientists are not usually fond of the term, however, and many a scholar has striven to identify, characterize, and quantify, if not resolve, the cognitive and neural mechanisms underlying this uniquely human ability. The study of language learning is rendered particularly challenging by the fact that the process is driven by the complex interplay of essential learner-intrinsic and learnerextrinsic variables. Moreover, a great deal of language learning happens outside conscious awareness, that is, without the learner relying on explicit processes involving declarative memory or metacognitive awareness. It follows that subjective and questionnaire-based assessments provide limited insights into the cognitive adventure that represents the learning of a language.In order to gain theoretical insights, we must thus turn to methods that go beyond the description of overt manifestations of language knowledge and "surface" indicators of performance (i.e.,

Active Language Modulates Color Perception in Bilinguals

“…Although it is theoretically possible that some LN participants covertly translated orally presented Norwegian digits into Lithuanian, the cognitive demands of this process that involved maintaining and translating digits in working memory made it less likely. Although our observed results align with the expectations, it is essential to recognize the potential for artifactual effects and explore alternative strategies to minimize language influence in future research (see Thierry et al., 2024). Despite these considerations, our study yields valuable insights into cognitive processes underlying color discrimination in bilinguals.…”

Effect of the Neurolinguistic Approach on EFL Learners’ Implicit and Explicit Grammar Knowledge: The Present Perfect Tense in Focus

“…To support procedural memory–housed learning, Thierry and Rebuschat ((Thierry & Rebuschat, 2020 ), p. 5) cogently maintained that a great deal of language learning “happens outside conscious awareness, that is, without the learner relying on explicit processes involving declarative memory or metacognitive awareness.” As for this study, (a) the memory alternation intended in NLA (i.e., from procedural memory in the initial oral phase to declarative memory in the intermediary reading and writing phase, and back again to procedural memory in the final oral phase), (b) the sustained project accomplishment goal, (c) continued social interaction with its embedded dialoguing opportunities, and (d) the intensity of instruction seem to have collectively led to limbic system stimulation even in the treatment of the grammatical point as a grammatical phenomenon.…”