Eleonora Rossi

California State Polytechnic University at Pomona, Psychology and Sociology, Faculty Member

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Address: Pomona, California, USA

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Papers by Eleonora Rossi

Brain changes associated with language development and learning: A primer on methodology and applications

System, 2020

Brain plasticity associated with second language acquisition and learning has been a focus of res... more Brain plasticity associated with second language acquisition and learning has been a focus of research in the past two decades. Recent research on cognitive neuroscience has enriched current understanding on the neurological underpinning of second language learning. Beyond behavioral findings, examining brain functions and structures provides a biological explanation of how language acquisition (as a natural experience) and learning (as an active skill and knowledge acquisition process) shapes the human brain. Together, combining cognitive neuroscience methods and second language acquisition and learning has offered an opportunity for cross-disciplinary collaboration. To facilitate cross-disciplinary understanding and potential research collaboration, this review paper aims to provide an overview of the major cognitive neuroscience methodologies adopted to study second language acquisition and learning. A selection of empirical studies covers second language acquisition in developing children, bilingualism as a naturally-occurring experience, and short-term second language learning in laboratory settings. Brain structural (diffusion tensor imaging, DTI; and voxel-based morphometry, VBM) and functional (electroencephalography, EEG; and eventrelated potentials, EPRs) methods are briefly discussed with suggested further readings. The paper ends with future directions using these methodologies to explore brain changes in response to second language teaching and learning experience.

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The Influence of Cross-Linguistic Similarity and Language Background on Writing to Dictation

Frontiers in Psychology, 2021

This study used a word dictation task to examine the influence of a variety of factors on word wr... more This study used a word dictation task to examine the influence of a variety of factors on word writing production: cognate status (cognate vs. non-cognate words), orthographic (OS) and phonological similarity (PS) within the set of cognate words, and language learning background [late bilinguals (LBs) with academic literacy and formal instruction in English and Spanish, and heritage speakers (HSs) with academic literacy and formal instruction only in English]. Both accuracy and reaction times for the first key pressed by participants (indicating lexical access), and the time required to type the rest of the word after the first keypress (indicating sublexical processing) was assessed. The results revealed an effect of PS on the dictation task particularly for the first keypress. That is, cognates with high PS were processed faster than cognates with low PS. In contrast to reading studies in which PS only revealed a significant effect when the OS between languages was high (O+P+ vs. ...

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Oscillatory brain dynamics of pronoun processing in native Spanish speakers and in late second language learners of Spanish

Bilingualism: Language and Cognition, 2020

A longstanding question in the second language acquisition literature is whether late second lang... more A longstanding question in the second language acquisition literature is whether late second language (L2) learners process grammatical structures in a native-like manner. Here, we use Time Frequency Representation (TFR) analysis to test morpho-syntactic processing of clitic pronouns in native and late L2 learners of Spanish. The TFR results show overall similar power decreases in theta, alpha, and beta frequencies in both groups. Critically, the observed oscillatory effects persisted in time for native Spanish speakers, but declined earlier for L2 learners. We discuss the results using cell-assembly theory models for language processing (e.g., Pulvermüller, 1999) that posit a biphasic time-course for neural assemblies consisting of an early ignition (recognition) and a later reverberation (re-processing) phase. We propose a working hypothesis for L2 processing in tune with a cell-assembly theory suggesting that the length of the reverberation phase could be a distinguishing feature...

Moving beyond the priming of single-language sentences: A proposal for a comprehensive model to account for linguistic representation in bilinguals

The Behavioral and brain sciences, 2017

In their target article, Branigan & Pickering (B&P) briefly discuss bilingual language representa... more In their target article, Branigan & Pickering (B&P) briefly discuss bilingual language representation, focusing primarily on cross-language priming between single-language sentences. We follow up on this discussion by showing how structural priming drives real-life phenomena of bilingual language use beyond the priming of unilingual sentences and by arguing that B&P's account should be extended with a representation for language membership.

Changes in White-Matter Connectivity in Late Second Language Learners: Evidence from Diffusion Tensor Imaging

Frontiers in psychology, 2017

Morphological brain changes as a consequence of new learning have been widely established. Learni... more Morphological brain changes as a consequence of new learning have been widely established. Learning a second language (L2) is one such experience that can lead to rapid structural neural changes. However, still relatively little is known about how levels of proficiency in the L2 and the age at which the L2 is learned influence brain neuroplasticity. The goal of this study is to provide novel evidence for the effect of bilingualism on white matter structure in relatively proficient but late L2 learners who acquired the second language after early childhood. Overall, the results demonstrate a significant effect on white matter fractional anisotropy (FA) as a function of L2 learning. Higher FA values were found in a broad white matter network including the anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), the Uncinate Fasciculus (UF), and the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). Moreover, FA values were correlated with age of L2 acquisition, suggest...

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New Structural Patterns in Moribund Grammar: Case Marking in Heritage German

Frontiers in Psychology, 2015

Research treats divergences between monolingual and heritage grammars in terms of performance-'L1... more

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Clitic pronouns reveal the time course of processing gender and number in a second language

Neuropsychologia, 2014

This study investigates grammatical gender and number processing marked on clitic pronouns in nat... more This study investigates grammatical gender and number processing marked on clitic pronouns in native Spanish speakers and in late English-Spanish bilinguals using ERPs. Spanish clitic pronouns were chosen as a critical grammatical structure which is absent in English, and which encodes both grammatical gender and number. Number, but not grammatical gender, is present in English, making this structure a prime one to investigate second language processing. Results reveal a P600 effect in native speakers for violations of both gender and number. Late but relatively proficient English-Spanish bilinguals show a P600 effect only for number violations occurring at the clitic pronoun, but not for gender violations. However a post-hoc analysis reveals that a subset of highly proficient late bilinguals does reveal sensitivity to violations of grammatical gender marked on clitic pronouns. Taken together these results suggest that native-like processing is possible for highly proficient late second language learners for grammatical features that are not present in the speakers' native language, even when those features are encoded on a grammatical morpheme which itself is absent in the speakers' native language.

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Don’t give an affirmative order. A negative one is easier!

Brain and Language, 2006

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Clitic production in Italian agrammatism

Brain and Language, 2005

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Modulating the sensitivity to syntactic factors in production: Evidence from syntactic priming in agrammatism

Applied Psycholinguistics, 2013

ABSTRACTThis study investigates the extent to which the production of complex morphosyntactic str... more ABSTRACTThis study investigates the extent to which the production of complex morphosyntactic structures can be modulated in agrammatic speakers by utilizing a syntactic priming paradigm. Italian clitic pronouns (varying in morphosyntactic complexity) were chosen as the focal linguistic structure under investigation to test hypotheses based on alternative theories. Three experiments were performed. Experiment 1 analyzed clitic production in spontaneous speech. Experiments 2 and 3 used syntactic priming to prime the production of direct- and indirect-object clitics in finite and in restructuring sentences. These structures critically require different clitic positions (finite sentences: before the finite verb; restructuring sentences: before or after the verbal complex). The pattern of results shows that agrammatic speakers are impaired in clitic production. However, they show that the deficit is quantitative rather than qualitative, suggesting residual sensitivity despite the poor p...

Spontaneous speech in Italian agrammatic aphasia: A focus on verb production

Aphasiology, 2008

Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf ... more Full terms and conditions of use: http://www.informaworld.com/terms-and-conditions-of-access.pdf This article maybe used for research, teaching and private study purposes. Any substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution , reselling , loan or sub-licensing, systematic supply or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. The publisher does not give any warranty express or implied or make any representation that the contents will be complete or accurate or up to date. The accuracy of any instructions, formulae and drug doses should be independently verified with primary sources. The publisher shall not be liable for any loss, actions, claims, proceedings, demand or costs or damages whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with or arising out of the use of this material.

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It Takes a Village: Using Network Science to Identify the Effect of Individual Differences in Bilingual Experience for Theory of Mind

Brain Sciences

An increasing amount of research has examined the effects of bilingualism on performance in theor... more An increasing amount of research has examined the effects of bilingualism on performance in theory of mind (ToM) tasks. Bilinguals outperform monolinguals in ToM when comparing groups. However, it is unclear what aspects of the bilingual experience contribute to this effect in a dynamic construct like ToM. To date, bilingualism has been conceptualized as a dichotic skill that is distinct from monolingualism, obscuring nuances in the degree that different bilingual experience affects cognition. The current study used a combination of network science, cognitive, and linguistic behavioral measurements to explore the factors that influence perspective-taking ToM based on participants’ current and previous experience with language, as well as their family networks’ experience with language. The results suggest that some aspects of the bilingual experience predict task performance, but not others, and these predictors align with the two-system theory of ToM. Overall, the findings provide ...

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Neural signatures of inhibitory control in bilingual spoken production

Cortex

Bilingual aphasia: a filed under construction

Stem Spraak En Taalpathologie, Oct 12, 2011

Selection and control in bilingual comprehension and production

The Cambridge Handbook of Bilingual Processing, 2015

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Second Language Immersion and the Time Course of Bilingual Inhibitory Processing: Evidence From Word Durations

PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2014

Inhibitory Control During Sentential Code-Switching: Evidence From fMRI

PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2013

Broca’s Area: Linking Perception and Production in Language and Actions

On Thinking, 2010

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The Multilingual Lexicon: The Cognitive and Neural Basis of Lexical Comprehension and Production in Two or More Languages

Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, 2013

Recent studies have shown that when bilinguals or multilinguals read written words, listen to spo... more Recent studies have shown that when bilinguals or multilinguals read written words, listen to spoken words, or plan words that they intend to speak in one language alone, information in all of the languages that they know is momentarily active. That activation produces cross-language competition that sometimes converges to facilitate performance and sometimes diverges to create costs to performance. The presence of parallel activation across languages has been documented in comprehension, in studies of word recognition, and also in production, in studies of lexical speech planning. The observation that one of the two or more languages cannot be switched off at will is particularly surprising in production, where the intention to express a thought should be guided by conceptually driven processes. Likewise, in comprehension, recent studies show that placing words in sentence context in one language alone is insufficient to restrict processing to that language. The focus of current re...

There Are No Mental Firewalls: FMRI Evidence for Global Inhibition of the Native Language in Bilingual Speech

PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2000

Eleonora Rossi

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