A foreign language (a language not spoken in one's community) is difficult to master completely. Early introduction of foreign-language (FL) education during childhood is becoming a standard in many countries. However, the neural process of child FL learning still remains largely unknown. We longitudinally followed 322 school-age children with…

A number of asymmetries in lexical memory emerge when monolinguals and early bilinguals are compared to (relatively) late second language (L2) learners. Their study promises to provide insight into the internal processes that both support and ultimately limit L2 learner achievement. Generally, theory building in L2 and bilingual lexical memory has…

This article challenges a recent proposal for the theoretical interpretation of L1 and L2 interaction that results from the abrupt change of language environment in internationally adopted children. According to this proposal (Pallier, Dehaene, Poline, LeBihan, Argenti, Depoux and Mehler, 2003; Ventureyra, Pallier and Yoo, 2004), such children…

Research on brain hemisphere functions appears to indicate that (1) lateralization occurs from about age five to puberty; (2) both hemispheres are involved in language learning in ways not yet fully understood; (3) after age fifteen, pronunciation learning becomes difficult; (4) older language learners learn more quickly, but younger learners…

Bilingual reading can require more than knowing two languages. Learners must acquire also the writing conventions of their second language, which can differ in its deep mapping principles (writing system) and its visual configurations (script). We review ERP (event-related potential) and fMRI studies of both Chinese-English bilingualism and…

The modified stage hypothesis, which predicts the balance of right v. left hemisphere involvement in learning or acquisition of languages, is examined and an apparent contradiction is found between conclusions from experimental findings supporting the hypothesis and Krashen's Monitor theory underlying it. (MSE)

The dichotomy of language acquisition versus language learning is critically examined by comparing the concepts presented in Krashen's Monitor Model and Stevick's Levertov Machine to information from the field of neurophysiology regarding the brain's processes. It is proposed that support exists for the theory that two very different processes…

Stephen Krashen's L2 (Second Language) Acquisition/Learning Theory and Georgi Lozanov's method of teaching through suggestion are compared in both their underlying theories and classroom applications. The seven component hypotheses of Krashen's theory and their neurological implications are analyzed for their agreement or disagreement with the…

A discussion of the biological and developmental issues in early second language learning first looks at psycholinguistic research on brain growth patterns and the relationship of first and second language learning. Focus is on three phenomena observed in the self-organization of living systems: selection of input data; organization of specialized…

Behavioral data establish a dramatic change in infants' phonetic perception between 6 and 12 months of age. Foreign-language phonetic discrimination significantly declines with increasing age. Using a longitudinal design, we examined the electrophysiological responses of 7- and 11-month-old American infants to native and non-native consonant…

The difficulty with which native English-speaking adults learning French control the distinction between verb aspects has prompted study of the neurological processes that may affect this learning process. It is concluded that it may not be possible to change these basic perception patterns of adult learners. (MSE)

It is proposed that research on neurological organization, cognitive psychology, and artificial intelligence can contribute to understanding the relationship between second language learning processes and academic achievement. Relevant research in these areas and in the field of neurolinguistics is reviewed, with several themes or topics…

Drawing on recent psychological and neurological research on how individual differences might interact with learning a particular language, the study examines how psycholinguistic research and theory can help in assigning military personnel to language training and to a given language. Using the Defense Language Institute's Defense Language…