This document summarizes a study that investigated how early exposure to a second language affects brain processing of syntactic violations in bilinguals compared to monolinguals. The study found that bilinguals exhibited lower amplitude brain waves and higher latency times when processing syntactic violations, indicating less effort but more time was required. Additionally, the advantages of bilingualism were most prominent when second language learning began earlier, between ages 3-12, during critical periods of cognitive development.

1. 2017 Seoul International Conference on Speech Sciences. 10-11 November, Seoul, South Korea
Early L2 Learning is Advantageous in Processing of Syntactic Violation in Bilinguals
Chuluundorj. B 1*, Delgertsetseg. Ch*
*University of the Humanities, Mongolia
*chukabegz@humanities.mn, *delgertsetseg@humanities.mn
ABSTRACT
Introduction:
Brain processing of syntactic material can be altered by
bilingualism [1] (i.e. mastering of two languages simultaneously).
According to Piaget J., cognitive development of children
depends on their age and can be divided into 4 stages:
sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational and formal
operational. However, the effect of bilingualism on brain
processing of sentence grammar and structure violations during
these development stages in Mongolian bilinguals is not well
known. The recent study aimed to investigate brain function in
processing of syntactic information by analysing brain peak
waves, such as LAN (left anterior negativity), N400 and P600 in
Mongolian monolinguals (control group) and bilinguals.
Methods:
20 Mongolian monolinguals and 18 bilinguals aged 3-21 were
randomly chosen from the Ulaanbaatar city, Mongolia. From the
bilinguals, 13 were Mongolian-English and 5 were Mongolian-
Russian, where English and Russian were their second languages
(L2). Quantitative electroencephalography was used to record
brain event related potentials (ERP) using WEEG32 (Laxta Inc.,
Korea) in 21 head positions by using international 10-20 system.
Speech was presented to the volunteers as sentences with correct
or anomalous syntaxes in native language, one word a time.
Independent component analysis was used to obtain clean brain
waves free of artefacts. Softwares, such as Telescan, Matlab,
EEGlab, ERPlab and GraphPad Prism were used for the analysis.
Results and Discussion:
Bilinguals had lower amplitude power of ELAN, N400 and P600
peaks and higher latency of P600 than monolinguals. This
indicates that less effort, but more time is required for processing
of speech syntactic violation in bilinguals. Also, the localization
of brain activation was different between the two groups in 21
scalp recording sites. ELAN peak is elicited in relation to
identification processes of word forms and category [2], whereas
N400 plays a role in identification and integration of semantic and
morpho-syntactic information [3]. P600 effect is associated with
reanalysis and repair of syntactic input [4]. Thus, amplitude
power of these peaks during the syntactic tasks indicate on the
brain activation power during the processes of word
form/category identification (ELAN), morpho-syntactic
integration (N400) and reanalysis/repair (P600) of the syntactic
input in the brain. Brain activation during syntactic recognition in
spoken and written sentences significantly differed among age
groups in both mono- and bilinguals. In “between the groups
analysis”, the main difference was observed in children aged 3-6
where amplitudes of all three peaks were significantly higher in
monolinguals than in bilinguals. Also, similar amplitude
differences in N400 and P600 were at ages 9-12 and in ELAN –
at ages 12-15. However, there was no significant amplitude
difference at other ages. “Within the groups analysis” showed that
monolinguals have highest brain activation, in terms of ELAN,
N400 and P600 powers, at ages 3-9 and this decreases with an
increase in age. Unlike monolinguals, bilinguals had highest
activation at only ages 6-9, but not 3-6. At ages 3-6 they had
significantly lower peak amplitude than at ages 6-9 and older.
These results suggest that bilinguals spend significantly lower
brain power for processing of syntactic violations especially at
preoperational stages of development (ages 3-6), differently from
the monolinguals. Peak latency of ELAN and N400 did not differ
in both groups as well as at various ages. The only latency
difference was observed in P600, which was higher in bilinguals
than in monolinguals in adolescents (at ages 18-21). Although
there was no difference within bilinguals, the monolinguals had a
lowest P600 peak latency at ages 9-12 in comparison to other
ages. These results indicate that mono- and bilingual children at
ages 3-18 process syntactic information with the same speed,
however in monolinguals, the quickest processing can occur at
late concrete operational stage of development (ages 9-12). L2
onset age, i.e. age at which the second language learning was
initiated, had also a significant impact on processing of syntactic
information in bilinguals. ELAN, N400 and P600 peak
amplitudes were lower at L2 onset ages 3-6 and the lowest
amplitude power was detected at L2 onset ages 6-12, in
comparison to monolinguals or bilinguals with L2 onset ages
below 3. N400 and P600 peak latencies did not alter with various
L2 onsets. However, ELAN peak latency was significantly lower
when L2 learning was initiated at ages 6-9 in comparison to all
other onset ages (data not shown), indicating on the quickest word
identification and categorization abilities of bilinguals when L2
learning is initiated at these early ages. Although longer duration
of L2 learning can be beneficial (data not shown), the types of L2,
such as English and Russian, did not affect the syntactic
processing abilities in bilinguals. Thus, the long term benefits of
bilingualism in syntactic speech processing can be observed when
bilinguals start learning their second language earlier at
preoperational and concrete operational stages of cognitive
development, i.e. at ages 3-12.
Conlcusion:
Brain processing of speech syntactic information in native
language is less effortful for bilinguals, in comparison to
monolinguals. The advantages of bilingualism can be mostly
observed when the L2 learning is initiated earlier in their lives –
at preoperational and concrete operational stages of their
cognitive development.
References:
[1] Moreno, S., Bialystok, E., Wodniecka, Z. & Alain, C. (2010). Conflict
resolution in sentence processing by bilinguals. Journal Neurolinguistics,
23(6), 564-579.
[2] Steinhauer, K., Drury, JE (2012). On the early left anterior negativity
(ELAN) in syntax studies. Brain and Language, 120, 135-162.
[3] Osterhout, L. (1992). Event-related potentials elicited by syntactic
anomaly. Journal of Memory and Language, 31, 785-806.
[4] Kaan, E., Harris, A., Gibson, E. & Holcomb, P. (2000). The P600 is
an index of syntactic integration difficulty. Language and Cognitive
Processes, 15(2), 159-201.