ABSTRACT

In the discussion on co-constructivism of culture and brain, language is particularly interesting because it is clearly a cultural construction, yet deeply rooted biologically. Cross-linguistic data strongly suggest that the same brain areas, functionally identified to be specific for syntax, semantics, and phonology, are active in participants across languages. However, comparisons between first (native) and second (nonnative) language processing reveal differences with respect to the recruitment of the different subcomponents in a common neuronal network of language processing. Native language processing thus seems to be similar across different languages, but the strategies used to process a nonnative language appear to be different.

INTRODUCTION

One of the intriguing issues discussed in the context of the nature–nurture debate (also known as the biology–culture debate) is the question of how different languages influence the brain basis of language processing. This question is particularly interesting in light of the fact that language is clearly a cultural construct and that cultural parameters have been shown to influence development and organization. Thus, a direct assumption following from these observations could be that different languages result in different neural structures.

There is clear evidence that cultural parameters present during development and learning, in general, influence the representation of particular cognitive and motor functions in the brain. A number of brain imaging studies have demonstrated reliable differences in brain activation as a function of training and expertise.