Brain, Vol. 122, No. 12, 2221-2235,
December 1999
© 1999 Oxford University Press
Review article |
A functional imaging study of translation and language switching
1 Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, Institute of Neurology and 2 University College, London, UK
Correspondence to:
Cathy J. Price, Wellcome Department of Cognitive Neurology, Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK E-mail: cprice{at} fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk
The neural systems underlying translation and language switching were investigated using PET. Proficient German–English adult bilinguals were scanned whilst either translating or reading visually presented words in German (L1), English (L2) or alternating L1/L2. We refer to alternating L1/L2 as `switching'. The results revealed contrasting patterns of activation for translation and switching, suggesting at least partially independent mechanisms. Translation, but not switching, increased activity in the anterior cingulate and subcortical structures whilst decreasing activation in several other temporal and parietal language areas associated with the meaning of words. Translation also increased activation in regions associated with articulation (the anterior insula, cerebellum and supplementary motor area) arguably because the reading response to the stimulus must be inhibited whilst a response in a different language is activated. In contrast, switching the input language resulted in activation of Broca's area and the supramarginal gyri, areas associated with phonological recoding. The results are discussed in terms of the cognitive control of language processes.
PET; bilingualism; translation; switching
BA = Brodmann area; IC model = Inhibitory Control model; L1 = first language; L2 = second language; SMA = supplementary motor area
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  W. J.B. van Heuven, H. Schriefers, T. Dijkstra, and P. Hagoort Language Conflict in the Bilingual Brain Cereb Cortex, November 1, 2008; 18(11): 2706 - 2716. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. Lorenzen and L. L. Murray Bilingual Aphasia: A Theoretical and Clinical Review Am J Speech Lang Pathol, August 1, 2008; 17(3): 299 - 317. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Abutalebi, J.-M. Annoni, I. Zimine, A. J. Pegna, M. L. Seghier, H. Lee-Jahnke, F. Lazeyras, S. F. Cappa, and A. Khateb Language Control and Lexical Competition in Bilinguals: An Event-Related fMRI Study Cereb Cortex, July 1, 2008; 18(7): 1496 - 1505. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Abutalebi, S. M. Brambati, J.-M. Annoni, A. Moro, S. F. Cappa, and D. Perani The Neural Cost of the Auditory Perception of Language Switches: An Event-Related Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study in Bilinguals J. Neurosci., December 12, 2007; 27(50): 13762 - 13769. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. P. Alexander, D. T. Stuss, T. Picton, T. Shallice, and S. Gillingham Regional frontal injuries cause distinct impairments in cognitive control Neurology, May 1, 2007; 68(18): 1515 - 1523. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Crinion, R. Turner, A. Grogan, T. Hanakawa, U. Noppeney, J. T. Devlin, T. Aso, S. Urayama, H. Fukuyama, K. Stockton, et al. Language control in the bilingual brain. Science, June 9, 2006; 312(5779): 1537 - 1540. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. Jia, K. Kohnert, J. Collado, and F. Aquino-Garcia Action Naming in Spanish and English by Sequential Bilingual Children and Adolescents. J Speech Lang Hear Res, June 1, 2006; 49(3): 588 - 602. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Goral, E. S. Levy, and L. K. Obler Neurolinguistic aspects of bilingualism International Journal of Bilingualism, December 1, 2002; 6(4): 411 - 440. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. L. Giraud, C. J. Price, J. M. Graham, and R. S. J. Frackowiak Functional plasticity of language-related brain areas after cochlear implantation Brain, July 1, 2001; 124(7): 1307 - 1316. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. Fabbro, M. Skrap, and S. Aglioti Pathological switching between languages after frontal lesions in a bilingual patient J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, May 1, 2000; 68(5): 650 - 652. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 How Does Language Translation Occur in the Brain? Journal Watch Neurology, April 1, 2000; 2000(401): 11 - 11. [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Dehaene Fitting two languages into one brain Brain, December 1, 1999; 122(12): 2207 - 2208. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|