Page 9 - ELG2406 June Issue 490

NEWS
ning
grammar
in adulthood
Lear
Learning grammar in adulthood
Young tortoises and old hares?

iven Hartshorne et al’s Each participant was then given a encountered in the grammar areas of the brain were activated
study finding that the task that required some grammatical training game. This enabled the in participants over 15.4 years,
ability to learn grammar judgement while having their brain researchers to analyse how the especially relating to working
Gdecreases from late scanned by functional magnetic age of the participants influenced memory (such as short-term
adolescence, the question is: what resonance (fMRI). This scanning how well they picked up the memory) and syntax-associated
kind of changes in the brain are technique records levels of brain implicit grammar rules while pathways.
causing this? activity by monitoring increases in simultaneously recording areas This suggests that both
There are specific parts of the blood flow. of the brain activated during younger and older language
brain associated with processing After the first fMRI scan they the task. learners are using the same
grammar and there also more played a grammar training game Overall, the 15 to 25-year- pathways in the brain and that
general essential processes every day for five days. The game olds outperformed the eight to age-related differences in ability
such as memory and attention. asked players to match pictures 15-year-olds in their ability to arise when these pathways reach
Developmental changes might to Icelandic sentences and then learn new grammar. This may their peak development. This
involve these specific pathways, presented the correct answer. No seem surprising, but there is particular study showed a peak
more general functions, or both. rules of Icelandic grammar were evidence that adults may learn but no decline in ability; but
To investigate this, Menks given, but these were implicit in a second language faster than then the oldest ‘adults’ were
and colleagues recruited 165 the matching task. Then each children in the very early stages. only 25.
monolingual Dutch speakers participant had another fMRI After a slower start, however,
aged eight to 25 years. The during which they performed younger learners are more likely REFERENCE
participants were taught a sample another grammatical judgement to reach the proficiency level of n Menks, W. M., Ekerdt, C.,
of Icelandic words and tested task. native-speakers. Lemhöfer, K., Kidd, E., Fernández,
online until they had a perfect The grammatical judgement The ability to learn grammar G., McQueen, J. M. and Janzen,
score. The words chosen were task consisted of 192 trials in this setting was found to G. (2024) Developmental changes
Dutch-Icelandic cognates with presenting Icelandic sentences. increase from age eight to 15.4 in brain activation during novel
the aim of focussing brain activity Players had to indicate whether then remain steady. Dividing the grammar learning in 8-25-year-
on differences in grammar rather the sentences followed or participants into those under or olds. Developmental Cognitive
than vocabulary. violated the rules that they had over 15.4 years showed that more Neuroscience. 66: 101347

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