Empirical and theoretical studies of mental computation in Japanese learners of English : Mental computation after sensitive periods

与第一语言习得的非凡成就相比，如果“成功”被定义为在目标第二语言的各个方面都达到母语水平，那么成年人的第二语言习得通常会导致“悲惨的失败”。本研究考察了日本成年英语学习者在敏感期后的心理计算特性。在句法和语义规则的处理方面，行为和神经成像数据都已被收集起来，这些数据被认为是难以获得的。目前正在对数据进行分析，但我们目前收集的神经成像数据表明，第二语言学习者可以学到比他们学到的更多的东西。在第二语言学习者中，教学对大脑的影响和皮层机制的性质也进行了一些实验。详细的结果及其影响将在提交给期刊和Yusa的论文中讨论（准备出版）。

In contrast to the remarkable feat of first language acquisition, adult second language acquisition typically results in 'miserable failure' if 'success' is defined as achieving native-like performance in every facet of the target second language. This research investigates the properties of mental computation in adult Japanese learners of English after sensitive periods. Both behavioral and neuroimaging data have been gathered on the processing of syntactic and semantic rules that have been claimed to be difficult to acquire. The data are now being analyzed but the neuroimaging data that we have so far gathered show that second language learners can get to know more than they have been taught. Several experiments were also conducted on instruction effects on the brain and nature of cortical mechanisms in second language learners. Detailed results and their implications are to be discussed in papers submitted to journals and Yusa (in preparation for publication).