Abstract
BackgroundTo examine which language function depends on early experience, the present study compared deaf native signers, deaf non-native signers and hearing German native speakers while processing German sentences. The participants watched simple written sentences while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. At the end of each sentence they were asked to judge whether the sentence was correct or not. Two types of violations were introduced in the middle of the sentence: a semantically implausible noun or a violation of subject-verb number agreement.ResultsThe results showed a similar ERP pattern after semantic violations (an N400 followed by a positivity) in all three groups. After syntactic violations, native German speakers and native signers of German sign language (DGS) with German as second language (L2) showed a left anterior negativity (LAN) followed by a P600, whereas no LAN but a negativity over the right hemisphere instead was found in deaf participants with a delayed onset of first language (L1) acquisition. The P600 of this group had a smaller amplitude and a different scalp distribution as compared to German native speakers.ConclusionsThe results of the present study suggest that language deprivation in early childhood alters the cerebral organization of syntactic language processing mechanisms for L2. Semantic language processing instead was unaffected.
Highlights
To examine which language function depends on early experience, the present study compared deaf native signers, deaf non-native signers and hearing German native speakers while processing German sentences
In contrast to native speakers, L2 learners seem to explicitly recapitulate the words and phrases of the L2, resulting in an additional drain on working memory load [32]. These differences in language processing between L1 and L2 speakers have been explained by the hypothesis of a sensitive (SP) or critical period (CP) for language acquisition in the development of the nervous system, during which learning capabilities are enhanced
In order to investigate the effects of a delayed L1 acquisition on the functional organization of an L2, deaf participants who had learned both written German and DGS (German Sign Language) at the time of school enrolment (LSL) were compared to native signers who had learned written German at a comparable point in time but sign language from birth (ESL)
Summary
Language proficiency tests (ATBG) The language proficiency test was run with all deaf participants. Results early sign language learners (ESL) Semantic condition In the time window of 300–500 ms, the ANOVA revealed significant interactions of CO and CL (F(2.1, 14.7) = 6.883; ε = 0.351; p = 0.007), and of CO and HE (F(1, 7) = 9.011; p = 0.020), and of CO, HE, and CL (F(1.7, 11.7) = 5.416; ε = 0.278; p = 0.026), indicating a smaller ERP difference over the left than over the right hemisphere. The t-tests for single clusters revealed a significant negative difference between incorrect and correct conditions for Clusters R2, R4, and R5 (p < 0.05; for the time window 300– 500 ms; see Figures 1 and 2, and Tables 4 and 5). LSL revealed a significantly smaller P600 effect than EGL
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