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Cross-linguistic interactions in phonological and orthographic processing in Spanish-English bilingual children: an fNIRS study
Poster Session B, Friday, September 12, 4:30 - 6:00 pm, Field House
This poster is part of the Sandbox Series.
Jing Zhang1, Neelima Wagley1, Ioulia Kovelman2, Xiaosu Hu2; 1Arizona State University, 2University of Michigan
Learning to read in English requires the development of several important skills including orthographic, phonological, and semantic representation of words, and the connections between these skills. In bilingual children, reading relies on the distributed knowledge of these components across their two languages. While prior research has established neurobiological models of reading based on monolingual evidence, it is unclear how dual-language experiences influence the neurocognitive mechanisms and networks underlying reading. Cross-linguistic transfer, where skills in one language influence performance in another, is mediated by language similarities and differences. For example, consistent sound-to-print mappings in Spanish support reading in more opaque languages like English. In the current study, we investigate Spanish–English simultaneous bilingual children's neural activation during an English word reading task, with a focus on resolving conflicts between orthography and phonology. We test two research questions: (1) What neural mechanisms do bilingual children rely on when resolving phonological and orthographic conflicts? (2) How does bilingual language proficiency influence neural recruitment; do balanced bilinguals use similar mechanisms as English-dominant bilinguals? Using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we recorded hemodynamic responses from 46 bilateral channels spanning fronto-temporo-parietal regions while participants completed a word reading task in English (48 trials). Children were presented with two written words and were asked to make a phonological judgement on whether the words start with the same sound. There were four trial types: O+P+, orthography and phonology match (e.g., look–lake); O-P+, phonology match but orthography differs (e.g., flower–photo); O-P-, neither orthography nor phonology match (e.g., dog–mom); and O+P-, orthography match but phonology differs (e.g., cent–cold). Language proficiency was assessed using the Bilingual English-Spanish Assessment – Middle Extension (BESA-ME) semantic and morphosyntax subtests and the Woodcock-Johnson/Muñoz phonological awareness and word reading subtests in both languages. The research questions and hypotheses of this study are being pre-registered. The final sample will be selected from an existing dataset of 157 Spanish-English bilingual children after pre-registration. We estimate the final sample to be between 50-70 participants. We will use a mixed-effects general linear model to analyze brain activation within the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), inferior parietal lobe (IPL), and the superior temporal gyrus (STG). We hypothesize that bilingual children will engage all three regions IFG, STG, and IPL when processing conflicts between phonology and orthography. Based on prior literature, we expect that balanced bilinguals will show greater activation in STG and IPL as they might rely more on phonological representations and sound-to-print mappings. In contrast, we expect English-dominant bilinguals may rely more on IFG activation due to greater demands on phonological access and control processes when resolving conflicts. The outcomes of this study will enhance our understanding of how bilingual proficiency shapes neural mechanisms of reading. These insights can inform instructional strategies in educational settings by identifying which children may benefit from targeted phonological or orthographic training. Additionally, findings of this study may support the development of more linguistically responsive assessment tools for clinicians that consider the influence of both languages in bilingual children’s reading development.
Topic Areas: Multilingualism, Language Development/Acquisition