New York University researchers report that bilingual grammar is supported by a single neural system rather than separate systems for each language. The study, led by Esti Blanco-Elorrieta with first author Xuanyi Jessica Chen, appeared in JNeurosci. The team used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to record brain activity with millisecond precision while Spanish–English bilinguals transformed words into correct grammatical forms, for example turning "boat" or "barco" into their plural forms.
Researchers also tested cognates and pseudowords such as "paple" to see whether the brain applies the same grammatical processes to novel items. Results showed the same brain patterns for English and Spanish and also for pseudowords. The authors suggest that bilingual grammar works as a reusable computation or universal template, not as separate rulebooks for each language.
The study received funding from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, and the source is NYU.
Difficult words
- bilingual — able to use two languagesbilinguals
- grammar — rules for making correct sentences
- neural — related to nerves or the brain
- magnetoencephalography — brain imaging method that records magnetic signals
- cognate — word similar in two related languagescognates
- pseudoword — a made‑up word that looks realpseudowords
- template — a pattern or model used again
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Discussion questions
- How might the idea of a single neural system for grammar affect language teaching methods?
- Why do you think the researchers tested pseudowords as well as real words?
- Would you like to be bilingual? How could this research influence your decision?
