A5088353093- Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism
- Language Development and Disorders
- Reading and Literacy Development
- Child and Animal Learning Development
- Neuroscience and Music Perception
- Phonetics and Phonology Research
- Speech and dialogue systems
- EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces
- Linguistic Education and Pedagogy
- Language and cultural evolution
- Multisensory perception and integration
- Language, Metaphor, and Cognition
- Categorization, perception, and language
- Cognitive Science and Mapping
- Linguistic research and analysis
- Neural Networks and Applications
- Second Language Acquisition and Learning
- Infant Health and Development
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Neural dynamics and brain function
- Cognitive Science and Education Research
- Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation
- Natural Language Processing Techniques
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
University of Vienna
2020-2025
Complexity Science Hub Vienna
2024
Osnabrück University
2013-2022
Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
2009-2018
Institut des Sciences Cognitives
2017
Max Planck Society
2007-2016
University of Kaiserslautern
1988
Several event-related potential (ERP) studies in second language (L2) processing have revealed a differential vulnerability of syntax-related ERP effects contrast to purely semantic effects. However, it is still debated what extent critical period for L2 acquisition, as opposed the attained proficiency level L2, contributes pattern results reported previous studies. We studied within model miniature version natural language, namely Japanese, specifically constructed assure high learners. In...
Learning a spoken language presupposes efficient auditory functions. In the present event-related potential study, we tested whether and how basic processes are related to online learning of linguistic rule in infants adults. Participants listened frequent standard stimuli, which were interspersed with infrequent pitch deviants deviants, violating nonadjacent dependency between two syllables. Only who showed more mature mismatch response for (i.e., negativity) deviants. Concordantly, small...
Much of our basic understanding cognitive and social processes in infancy relies on measures looking time, specifically infants’ visual preference for a novel or familiar stimulus. However, despite being the foundation many behavioral tasks infant research, determinants preferences are poorly understood, differences expression can be difficult to interpret. In this large-scale study, we test predictions from Hunter Ames model infants' preferences. We investigate effects three factors...
This study reports the results of two behavioral and event-related brain potential experiments examining processing inflected words in second-language (L2) learners with Russian as their native language. Two different subsystems German inflection were studied, participial noun plurals. For forms, L2 found to widely generalize -t suffixation rule a nonce-word elicitation task, experiment, they showed an anterior negativity followed by P600-both resembling previous findings from speakers on...
The present experiments were designed to test how the linguistic feature of case is processed in Japanese by native and non-native listeners. We used a miniature version as model compare sentence comprehension mechanisms speakers learners who had received training until they mastered system. In first experiment we auditorily presented with sentences containing incorrect double nominatives accusatives, correct sentences. second tested trained non-natives same material. Based on previous...
The aim of this article is to provide a selective review event-related potential (ERP) research on second language processing. As ERPs have been used in the investigation variety linguistic domains, reported studies cover different paradigms assessing processing mechanisms at various levels, ranging from phoneme discrimination complex sentence Differences between ERP patterns first (L1) and (L2) speakers can help specify test predictions derived models L2 or hypotheses concerning critical...
When learning a new language, grammar—although difficult—is very important, as grammatical rules determine the relations between words in sentence. There is evidence that young infants can detect determining relation neighbouring syllables short syllable sequences. A critical feature of all natural languages, however, many concern dependency non-neighbouring or elements sentence i.e. an auxiliary and verb inflection singing. Thus, issue when how children begin to recognize such non-adjacent...
ORIGINAL RESEARCH article Front. Psychol., 31 May 2011Sec. Language Sciences volume 2 - 2011 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00104
Artificial language studies have revealed the remarkable ability of humans to extract syntactic structures from a continuous sound stream by mere exposure. However, it remains unclear whether processes acquired in such tasks are comparable those applied during normal processing. The present study compares ERPs auditory processing simple Italian sentences native and non-native speakers after brief exposure similar structure. contained non-adjacent dependency between an auxiliary...
Abstract There is considerable interest in understanding the ontogeny and phylogeny of human language system, yet, neurobiological work at interface both fields absent. Syntactic processes build on sensory processing sequencing capabilities side receiver. While we better understand language-related ontogenetic changes brain, it remains a mystery how specific development stages compare with those phylogenetically closely related species. To address this knowledge gap, measured EEG...
In the present study, we investigate how early and late L2 learners process grammatical traits that are either or absent in their native language (L1). Thirteen (AoA = 4 years old) 13 18 Spanish of Basque performed a judgment task on auditory sentences while event-related brain potentials (ERPs) were recorded. The contained violations syntactic property specific to participants' L2, i.e., ergative case, both languages, verb agreement. Two forms agreement tested: subject agreement, found L1...
The ability to process center-embedded structures has been claimed represent a core function of the language faculty. Recently, several studies have investigated learning dependencies in artificial grammar settings. Yet some results seem question learnability these tasks. Here, we tested under which exposure conditions an is possible. We used naturally spoken syllable sequences and varied presence prosodic cues. suggest that mere distributional information does not suffice for successful...
Sentences are easier to memorize than ungrammatical word strings, a phenomenon known as the sentence superiority effect. Yet, it is unclear how higher-order linguistic information facilitates verbal working memory and this implemented in neural system. The goal of current fMRI study was specify brain mechanisms underlying effect during encoding maintenance by manipulating syntactic structure load. material, compared with recruited not only inferior frontal (BA 47) anterior temporal...
Artificial grammar experiments show that marmosets and chimpanzees can process nonadjacent decencies, a key feature of human language.
Learning takes place throughout lifetime but differs in infants and adults because of the development PFC, a brain region responsible for cognitive control. To test this hypothesis, were investigated language learning paradigm under inhibitory, cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation over PFC. The experiment included session interspersed with phases test-only session. stimulus material required grammatical dependencies between two elements novel language. In parallel design, left...
Abstract Humans can derive sequential dependencies from unfamiliar artificial speech within several of minutes exposure. However, there is an ongoing debate about the nature underlying learning processes. In a widely discussed study Peña et al. [Peña, M., Bonatti, L. L., Nespor, & Mehler, J. Signal-driven computations in processing. Science, 298, 604–607, 2002] argued for importance subtle acoustic cues signal, such as pauses, order to switch between two computational mechanisms, which...
We test whether preverbal infants’ cognitive capacities include the ability to compute nested relations in auditory stream.
The present chapter bridges two lines of neurocognitive research, which are, despite being related, usually discussed separately from each other. fields, second language (L2) sentence comprehension and artificial grammar processing, both depend on the successful learning complex sequential structures. comparison research directions will be taken as starting point for attempt to study L2 using a miniature model. experiments that presented made use event‐related potential (ERP) method,...