Brain Correlates of Phonetic Foreign Language Talent

本研究旨在探讨外语语音天赋的认知神经科学，旨在发现外语语音天赋的神经相关因素，以期对我们理解语言和语言学习能力的神经生物学基础有所帮助。人们普遍认为，不同的人在外语习得方面的能力、成就和速度各不相同。特别是语音发音方面似乎是一个特定的亚技能，独立的神经基板已被假定。到目前为止，只有很少的神经影像学研究专门调查一般的语言天赋，显示结构解剖和功能的差异，一般更多和更少的天才/成功的第二语言学习者。除了这几个研究一般语言人才，没有研究到目前为止调查语音语言学习能力（发音人才）。在高与低熟练双语者的文献中，研究第二语言熟练程度和大脑激活之间的相关性的研究往往发现更多的激活（强度和/或程度）与较低的熟练程度和较高的第二语言（L2）熟练度的相反模式相关。研究语言生产，无论熟练程度或语言天赋，阐明了特定的左壳核参与第二语言发音（克莱因1994），并反复基底神经节和左岛参与母语发音。基于这些先前的研究和我们的研究小组（Ackermann，Dogil，Grodd，Riecker，Hertrich，Mathiak）对正常和神经受损人群的发音和语言产生的功能磁共振成像（fMRI）研究，我们阐述了以下研究问题和假设，通过功能磁共振成像（fMRI）和脑磁图（MEG）进行检查。

The present project aims at the investigation of ¿The Cognitive Neuroscience of Foreign Language Pronunciation Talent¿, intending to find the neural correlates of foreign language pronunciation talent, with the far-reaching aim to contribute to our understanding of the neurobiological basis of language and language learning abilities. It is a commonplace observation that people differ in their aptitude, capacity, success and speed of foreign language acquisition. Especially the phonetic-articulatory aspect seems to be a specific subskill for which separate neural substrates have been assumed. So far, only very few neuroimaging studies specifically investigated general language talent, showing structural anatomical and functional differences between generally more and less talented/ successful second language learners. Apart from these few studies examining general language talent, no study so far investigated phonetic language learning ability (pronunciation talent). Within the literature on high versus low proficiency bilinguals, studies investigating correlations between second language proficiency level and brain activation often found more activation (in intensity and / or extent) correlating with lower proficiency level and the reverse patterns for higher second language (L2) proficiency. Research examining language production regardless of the proficiency level or linguistic talent, has elucidated particular left putaminal engagement during second language articulation (Klein 1994) and repeatedly basal ganglia and left insular involvement in native language articulation. On the basis of these prior studies and previous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of our research groups (Ackermann, Dogil, Grodd, Riecker, Hertrich, Mathiak) on articulation and language production in normal and neurologically impaired populations, we elaborated the following research questions and hypotheses to be examined by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG).