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Abstract:
Abstract: The goal of this study was to explore the effects
of language experience on how children raised in bilingual
environments process each of their languages. Event-related
potentials (ERPs) to known and unknown words in each language
(English and Spanish) were recorded in a group of 20-22 month-old
children who had regular exposure to both languages. Known word
lists were determined using parent report and a picture-pointing
task. Language "dominance" was determined using parent ratings and
the number of words produced as reported on English and Spanish
versions of the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories.
Within-language comparisons examined the neural activity elicited
by each word type over twelve electrode sites in each language.
Between-language comparisons examined ERP differences to
known-unknown words in the dominant and nondominant languages.
Results indicated language-specific ERP patterns. In the
nondominant language, ERP differences to known-unknown words at
600-1200 msec were broadly-distributed across electrode sites in
both hemispheres. In the dominant language, more
focally-distributed differences to known-unknown words were found
at 600-1200 msec, partially replicating patterns previously found
with younger (13-17 month-old) monolinguals (Mills, Coffey-Corina,
& Neville, 1997). Earlier differences (200-500 msec) were also
found in the dominant language, partially replicating patterns
found in monolinguals. These findings indicate unique patterns for
bilinguals, and underscore the role of language experience in
establishing specialization for language processing.
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