Tohoku University Cognitive Neuroscience Application Center

How can we promote "deep comprehension" beyond surface-level understanding when reading in a second language (L2)? And how does actively recalling information through "retrieval practice" affect brain activity? To address these questions, we conducted an fMRI study and presented our findings at the Society for the Neurobiology of Language conference held in Brisbane, Australia, from October 24-26, 2024.
In this study, Japanese students reading texts in their native language (L1) and in L2 (English) showed significantly improved comprehension when using retrieval practice, where they summarized the content in their own words. Notably, we observed increased activity in the left angular gyrus during L2 reading, suggesting this brain region’s key role in supporting deep comprehension.
These findings highlight the potential of retrieval practice as an effective personalized learning strategy in L2 acquisition, drawing considerable interest from conference attendees.(Jeong)

Society for the Neurobiology of Language (neurolang.org)

Hyeonjeong Jeong, Carlos Makoto Miyauchi, Wataru Suzuki, Ryuta Kawashima, Motoaki Sugiura
Neural Correlates of Deep Comprehension of Second Language Reading: Focus on Retrieval Practice
Society for the Neurobiology of Language, 16th Annual Meeting, Brisbane, Australia【 Poster 】