Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, 2 Alethia Dr. Unit 1085, Storrs, CT 06269, USA; Connecticut Institute for the Brain and Cognitive Science, University of Connecticut, 337 Mansfield Rd Unit 1272, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
Brain Lang. 2021 Jan;212:104890. doi: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104890. Epub 2020 Dec 8.
Spanish-English bilingual families (N = 17) were recruited to assess the association between infant directed speech (IDS) in Spanish and their degree of neural commitment to the Spanish language. IDS was assessed by extracting the caregivers' Vowel Space Area (VSA) from recordings of a storybook reading task done at home. Infants' neural commitment was assessed by extracting the positive mismatch brain response (positive-MMR), an Event-Related Potential (ERP) thought to be indicative of higher attentional processes and early language commitment. A linear mixed model analysis demonstrated that caregivers' VSA predicted the amplitude of the positive-MMR in response to a native speech contrast (Spanish), but not to a non-native speech contrast (Chinese), even after holding other predictors constant (i.e., socioeconomic status, infants' age, and fundamental frequency). Our findings provide support to the view that quality of language exposure fosters language learning, and that this beneficial relationship expands to the bilingual population.
双语家庭（西班牙语-英语，N=17）被招募来评估婴儿指向性言语（IDS）在西班牙语中的作用与其对西班牙语神经投入程度之间的关系。通过从在家中进行的故事书阅读任务的录音中提取看护者的元音空间区域（VSA）来评估婴儿指向性言语。通过提取正错配脑反应（正 MMR）来评估婴儿的神经投入程度，这是一种被认为与更高注意力过程和早期语言投入有关的事件相关电位（ERP）。线性混合模型分析表明，看护者的 VSA 预测了对母语语音对比（西班牙语）的正 MMR 幅度，但不能预测对非母语语音对比（汉语）的正 MMR 幅度，即使在控制其他预测因子（即社会经济地位、婴儿年龄和基频）后也是如此。我们的研究结果支持了这样一种观点，即语言接触的质量促进了语言学习，而且这种有益的关系扩展到了双语人群。
