Neural basis of bilingual language control. Issue 1 (19th June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Calabria, Marco; Costa, Albert; Green, David W.; Abutalebi, Jubin
• Other Names: Kingstone Alan guestEditor.; Miller Michael B. guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. Volume 1426:Issue 1(2018)
• Page Start: 221
• Page End: 235
• Publication Date: 2018-06-19
• Subjects: bilingualism -- neural basis -- language control -- bilingual aphasia -- executive control; Medical sciences -- Periodicals; Medicine -- Periodicals; Science -- Periodicals; 610
• DOI: 10.1111/nyas.13879
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0077-8923

Abstract

Abstract: Acquiring and speaking a second language increases demand on the processes of language control for bilingual as compared to monolingual speakers. Language control for bilingual speakers involves the ability to keep the two languages separated to avoid interference and to select one language or the other in a given conversational context. This ability is what we refer with the term "bilingual language control" (BLC). It is now well established that the architecture of this complex system of language control encompasses brain networks involving cortical and subcortical structures, each responsible for different cognitive processes such as goal maintenance, conflict monitoring, interference suppression, and selective response inhibition. Furthermore, advances have been made in determining the overlap between the BLC and the nonlinguistic executive control networks, under the hypothesis that the BLC processes are just an instantiation of a more domain‐general control system. Here, we review the current knowledge about the neural basis of these control systems. Results from brain imaging studies of healthy adults and on the performance of bilingual individuals with brain damage are discussed. Abstract : Acquiring and speaking a second language (L2) increases demand on the processes of language control for bilingual as compared to monolingual speakers. Language control for bilingual speakers involves the ability to keep the two languages separated to avoid interference and to select one language or the other in a given conversational context. Here, we review the current knowledge about the neural basis of these control systems. Results from brain imaging studies of healthy adults and on the performance of bilingual individuals with brain damage are discussed.