1 |
Arithmetic memory networks established in childhood are changed by experience in adulthood
|
|
|
|
Abstract:
Adult bilinguals show stronger access to multiplication tables when using the language in which they learned arithmetic during childhood (LA+) than the other language (LA−), implying language-specific encoding of math facts. However, most bilinguals use LA+ throughout their life, confounding the impact of encoding and use. We tested if using arithmetic facts in LA− could reduce this LA− disadvantage. We measured event related brain potentials while bilingual teachers judged the correctness of multiplication problems in each of their languages. Critically, each teacher taught arithmetic in either LA+ or LA−. Earlier N400 peak latency was observed in both groups for the teaching than non-teaching language, showing more efficient access to these facts with use. LA+ teachers maintained an LA+ advantage, while LA− teachers showed equivalent N400 congruency effects (for incorrect versus correct solutions) in both languages. LA− teachers also showed a late positive component that may reflect conflict monitoring between their LA+ and a strong LA−. Thus, the LA− disadvantage for exact arithmetic established in early bilingual education can be mitigated by later use of LA−.
|
|
Keyword:
Article
|
|
URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4267922/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25445361 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neulet.2014.11.010
|
|
BASE
|
|
Hide details
|
|
|
|