A core aspect of language comprehension is the extraction of phonetic information from speech. This process is non-trivial due to the transient nature of phonetic segments and their overlapping presence in the acoustic signal. We aim to gain a deeper understanding of this complex process in the context of dyslexia. Individuals with this reading impairment have been found to process two aspects of speech differently from typical readers: they have difficulty extracting individual phonemes from words, and they show signs of imprecise cortical tracking of the speech envelope, an important correlate of speech prosody. However, it is unclear how exactly imprecise tracking of speech leads to phoneme-level deficits. Moreover, despite these deficits, natural speech comprehension in dyslexia remains intact, suggesting that compensation may take place. We address these gaps by applying state-of-the-art phonetic decoding analyses in dyslexia for the first time while varying prosodic and lexical cues within the speech signal. A novel analytical approach will reveal how listeners with and without dyslexia track phonetic segments over time, retain their correct order, and decode them into distinct phonetic representations. Cortical responses to phonetic segments will be tracked in natural speech, in synthesised speech with impoverished prosodic cues, and in meaningless pseudospeech (Jabberwocky) while MEG data are recorded. Comparing the neural dynamics of phonetic decoding in natural speech to speech with impoverished prosodic information will show to what extent prosodic cues facilitate decoding of fine-grained phonetic information. Comparing natural speech to pseudospeech will reveal whether poor phonetic decoding can be compensated with top-down information. The project will provide a better understanding of how phonetic information is extracted from speech and how this may relate to the persistent deficits in dyslexia, with important implications for theory and remediation.

Understanding the implications of the level a language use in how we remember our past is a challenging and relevant goal in our growing bilingual world. Research evidence on memory and bilingualism converges in the idea that the level of language use changes the ability to access semantic representations. At the same time, individuals´ capacity to access semantic representations facilitates to process semantic information in a relational manner, which subsequently enhances episodic memory. This research project is aimed at investigating interactions between semantic and episodic memory as a function of the language use by means of behavioural and neuroimaging techniques. Basque/Spanish early bilinguals with high proficiency in both languages will be divided in two groups based on their use of languages in their everyday life: balance bilinguals (BB), if they use at the same level both languages; and unbalance bilinguals (UB), if they use one language over the other. We will employ two memory paradigms that are sensitive to semantic-episodic memory interactions. On one hand, categorical memory paradigm will be used to examine beneficial influences of categorical processing on episodic memory; and on the other hand, Deese-Roediger-McDermott paradigm will provide a measure of false episodic memories that will be modulated by relational semantic processing. In both paradigms, no differences between languages would be expected for BB. In contrast, UB in less used language condition would show decreased level of categorical memory and fewer false memories comparing with more used language condition. Regarding neuroimaging procedures, fMRI will allow us to examine brain pattern activations, connectivity and pattern prediction related to semantic processing and memory and to look for neural differences associated with the level of active use of a language. All this will facilitate the understanding of the intricate relationship between bilingualism and memory.

Even though multilingualism is highly prevalent in Europe, those who speak a second or third language often differ substantially from native speakers in ways that hinder efficient communication. Despite it being acknowledged that individual differences play a critical role in learning a foreign language, the majority of research has focused on a narrow subset of factors such as learning strategies and personality traits. OptiSeLL aims to expand this exploration by looking at individual differences in phonological processing and the role they play in second language acquisition. OptiSeLL is based on recent findings from basic research in psycholinguistics showing that listeners differ substantially in how they process the speech signal. Our aim is to expand these novel findings and assess the degree to which they can be applied to second language learning. OptiSeLL specific objectives are to: 1. Examine whether individual differences in speech processing affect the acquisition of new phonological contrasts. 2. Examine whether such differences can also affect novel word learning. 3. Assess the degree to which exposure to different phonetic systems may lead to a more flexible speech processing. In other words, this project will take advantage of the existing individual variability to identify the key factors that facilitate second language learning, possibly through the development of flexible speech perception systems. Once known, we can then explore how we can manipulate these factors to design educational environments that support flexible communication and efficient language learning. In addition, the findings of this project will be of high theoretical significance to the field as they will considerably advance our understanding of basic speech perception mechanisms.

Bilinguals activate words from both languages when listening, reading or speaking in one language, and engage non-linguistic cognitive control abilities to resolve cross-linguistic competition. Most studies of cross-language activation have focused on activation between languages through overlapping phonological representations. However, cross-language activation also occurs in deaf or hearing bilinguals who are familiar with a spoken language and a sign language, two languages without overlapping phonological systems. The proposed research aims to systematically investigate phonological and lexical-semantic contributions to cross-language activation during production and comprehension by studying and comparing cross-language activation patterns in three groups of bilinguals: (1) bilinguals with two spoken languages, and (2) hearing and (3) deaf bimodal bilinguals. Four studies are proposed that combine behavioural, eye-tracking and electrophysiological techniques to examine whether and how the availability of same-modality vs. different-modality phonological systems differentially modulates the nature of cross-language interaction and the recruitment of cognitive control mechanisms during bilingual production and comprehension. By including deaf as well as hearing bimodal bilinguals, the studies will furthermore provide critical insight into the linguistic mechanisms underlying cross-language activation between a spoken language and a signed language, and significantly advance bilingual approaches to language acquisition and processing in deaf readers.