Two languages – one brain

Authors

  • Maija S. Peltola Department of Phonetics, University of Turku, Finland; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Turku, Finland Author
  • Henna Tamminen Department of Phonetics, University of Turku, Finland; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Turku, Finland Author
  • Laura Salonen Department of Phonetics, University of Turku, Finland Author
  • Heidi Toivonen Department of Logopedics, Åbo Academy University, Finland Author
  • Teija Kujala Department of Psychology, CBRU, University of Helsinki, Finland Author
  • Risto Näätänen Department of Psychology, CBRU, University of Helsinki, Finland; Centre of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, University of Århus, Denmark; Department of Psychology, University of Tartu, Estonia Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36505/ExLing-2010/03/0037/000157

Keywords:

speech perception, bilingualism, mismatch negativity

Abstract

Studies on bilingual speech processing have implied that bilinguals may either have two separate or one intertwined system. These findings have been obtained by multiple methods using various types of bilinguals. Our study compared monolinguals and two types of bilinguals. We used the same methods for all groups, i.e. we measured attentive identification scores and preattentive discrimination. Our results show that bilinguals process speech sounds differently from monolinguals, and more importantly, that there is a difference between the two types of bilinguals. We suggest that dominant bilinguals have two separate phonological systems, while balanced bilinguals have one uniform system.

 

References

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Published

01-01-2010

How to Cite

Two languages – one brain. (2010). Linguistic Proceedings Series, 3(1), 145-148. https://doi.org/10.36505/ExLing-2010/03/0037/000157

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