Language distance in orthographic transparency affects cross‐language pattern similarity between native and non‐native languages

Abstract

How native and non‐native languages are represented in the brain is one of the most important questions in neurolinguistics. Much research has found that the similarity in neural activity of native and non‐native languages are influenced by factors such as age of acquisition, language proficiency, and language exposure in the non‐native language. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how the similarity between native and non‐native languages in orthographic transparency, a key factor that affects the cognitive and neural mechanisms of phonological access, modulates the cross‐language similarity in neural activation and which brain regions show the modulatory effects of language distance in orthographic transparency. To address these questions, the present study used representational similarity analysis (RSA) to precisely estimate the neural pattern similarity between native language and two non‐native languages in Uyghur‐Chinese‐English trilinguals, whose third language (i.e., English) was more similar to the native language (i.e., Uyghur) in orthography than to their second language (i.e., Chinese). Behavioral results revealed that subjects responded faster to words in the non‐native language with more similar orthography to their native language in the word naming task. More importantly, RSA revealed greater neural pattern similarity between Uyghur and English than between Uyghur and Chinese in select brain areas for phonological processing, especially in the left hemisphere. Further analysis confirmed that those brain regions represented phonological information. These results provide direct neuroimaging evidence for the modulatory effect of language distance in orthographic transparency on cross‐language pattern similarity between native and non‐native languages during word reading.

Cortical encoding during word reading in bilinguals: parallel interdigitated distributed networks support convergent linguistic functioning

“…Hence, specific activations for English reading were found in brain areas for phonological processing such as the left precentral gyrus, dorsal inferior frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus and temporoparietal cortex 3,9,10,12,14,16 . Moreover, Chinese reading elicits more activations in the bilateral fusiform gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, left ventral inferior frontal gyrus, and lateral temporal gyrus; these areas provide orthographic and semantic processing 4,10 . Explorations conducted in bilingual populations also confirmed the intermingled neural populations responding to Chinese and English word reading 11,17 .…”

“…Reading, a highly complex and advanced learned ability, is vital for new knowledge acquisition and problem solving. Three language-processing components, orthographic, phonological and semantic representations, were found to be processed and integrated in brain language networks during reading to integrate information from visual properties and pronunciations of printed words and access semantics 1,2,3,4 . However, the key question of whether neural populations supporting these processing components in different writing systems in bilingual individuals are convergent is still in debated.…”

“…Three language-processing components, orthographic, phonological and semantic representations, were found to be processed and integrated in brain language networks during reading to integrate information from visual properties and pronunciations of printed words and access semantics (J. Dong et al, 2021; Fischer-Baum, Bruggemann, Gallego, Li, & Tamez, 2017; Price, 2012; Rayner, Foorman, Perfetti, Pesetsky, & Seidenberg, 2001). However, the key question of whether neural populations supporting these processing components in different writing systems in bilingual individuals are convergent is still in debated.…”

“…Moreover, Chinese reading elicits more activations in the bilateral fusiform gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus, left ventral inferior frontal gyrus, and lateral temporal gyrus; these areas provide orthographic and semantic processing (Bolger et al, 2005; J. Dong et al, 2021). Explorations conducted in bilingual populations also confirmed the intermingled neural populations responding to Chinese and English word reading (Rueckl et al, 2015; Xu, Baldauf, Chang, Desimone, & Tan, 2017).…”

Neural representation of phonological information during Chinese character reading

“…Phonological processing (i.e., transforming the visual forms of written words into sounds) is one of key components of reading (Coltheart et al, 2001 ; Harm & Seidenberg, 2004 ). Numerous neuroimaging studies have examined the neural basis of phonological processing in reading by using various reading tasks, such as rhyme judgment (Aparicio et al, 2007 ; Booth et al, 2004 ; Dębska et al, 2019 ; Kim et al, 2020 ; Liu et al, 2009 , 2018 ; Mathur et al, 2020 ; Pillay et al, 2014 ; Tan et al, 2003 ; Yen et al, 2019 ), homophone judgment (Chuchu et al, 2018 ; Gitelman et al, 2005 ; Matsuo et al, 2010 ; Siok et al, 2003 ; Tham et al, 2005 ; Yang & Tan, 2019 ), initial consonant judgment (Lee et al, 2012 ; Siok et al, 2003 ), phonological decision (Emmorey et al, 2016 ; Hartwigsen et al, 2010 ; Liebig et al, 2017 ), silent reading (Cheema et al, 2018 ; Cullum et al, 2019 ; Hartwigsen et al, 2010 ; Kumar & Padakannaya, 2019 ; Lu et al, 2021 ; Osipowicz et al, 2011 ; Qu et al, 2019 ; Wan et al, 2017 ), and overt naming tasks (Al et al, 2020 ; Berken et al, 2015 ; Binder et al, 2005 ; Brumberg et al, 2016 ; Dietz et al, 2005 ; Dong et al, 2020 , 2021 ; Graves et al, 2010 ; Mechelli et al, 2007 ). Researchers have observed consistent activation in language‐related brain areas in the left inferior frontal gyrus, left temporoparietal cortex, and left lateral temporal cortex.…”