ERP Evidences of Rapid Semantic Learning in Foreign Language Word Comprehension

Abstract

The event-related potential (ERP) of electroencephalography (EEG) signals has been well studied in the case of native language speech comprehension using semantically matched and mis-matched end-words. The presence of semantic incongruity in the audio stimulus elicits a N400 component in the ERP waveform. However, it is unclear whether the semantic dissimilarity effects in ERP also appear for foreign language words that were learned in a rapid language learning task. In this study, we introduced the semantics of Japanese words to subjects who had no prior exposure to Japanese language. Following this language learning task, we performed ERP analysis using English sentences of semantically matched and mis-matched nature where the end-words were replaced with their Japanese counterparts. The ERP analysis revealed that, even with a short learning cycle, the semantically matched and mis-matched end-words elicited different EEG patterns (similar to the native language case). However, the patterns seen for the newly learnt word stimuli showed the presence of P600 component (delayed and opposite in polarity to those seen in the known language). A topographical analysis revealed that P600 responses were pre-dominantly observed in the parietal region and in the left hemisphere. The absence of N400 component in this rapid learning task can be considered as evidence for its association with long-term memory processing. Further, the ERP waveform for the Japanese end-words, prior to semantic learning, showed a P3a component owing to the subject's reaction to a novel stimulus. These differences were more pronounced in the centro-parietal scalp electrodes.