Neuroimaging studies of reading in bilinguals

Abstract

The ability to learn a second language is a skill that is often mediated by functional and structural changes in the brain. An inverted U-shaped function has been revealed in the neural response with increased expertise of L2 reading. In particular, the neural response at the left temporo-occipital region increases after initial learning and then decreases with increased expertise and efficiency. Another intriguing question in the literature of bilingual reading is whether brain activation for L2 is similar to or different from that for L1, which seems to be driven by tangled variables such as the proficiency level of L2, age of acquisition in L2, and orthographic transparency of L2 in relation to L1. In addition, the established L1 reading mechanisms and skills constrain how L2 is being learned in the brain, while acquiring a L2 also reversely influences how L1 is processed in the brain.