Dual Processing of English Derivation in the Brains of Korean Learners: An fMRI Study

• 영문명: Dual Processing of English Derivation in the Brains of Korean Learners: An fMRI Study
• 발행기관: 한국영어학학회
• 저자명: 백지선 박해일
• 간행물 정보: 『영어학연구』제29권 4호, 43~77쪽, 전체 35쪽
• 주제분류: 어문학 > 영어와문학
• 파일형태: PDF
• 발행일자: 2023.11.30

영문 초록

This study aims to explore whether the processing of two levels of English derivations, namely level 1 and level 2, differs in the brains of highly proficient Korean learners of English as a second language and whether it aligns with the patterns observed in native English speakers. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), the brain activations of fifteen proficient Korean learners of English were recorded while they performed a phonological similarity judgment task. The task involved discriminating between word pairs with level 1 (e.g., -ity) and level 2 (e.g., -ness) derivational affixes. The results demonstrated that when processing level 2 words, the participants activated the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG or Broca’s area) and posterior superior temporal gyrus (STG), consistent with rule-based procedural memory and lexical-semantic processing, respectively. In contrast, the left posterior STG was activated when processing level 1 words, indicative of declarative memory involvement. These findings provide direct support for Ullman’s Declarative/Procedural model, suggesting that highly proficient L2 learners process derivations similarly to native speakers.

목차

1. Introduction

2. Previous Studies

3. Methodology

4. Results

5. Discussion

6. Conclusion

References

키워드

English Derivation fMRI Broca’s area L2 Processing Superior Temporal Gyrus Declarative/Procedural Model