Cognitive Neuroscience of Foreign Language Education: Myths and Realities

This paper provides an overview of some educational implications from thecurrent research on cognitive neuroscience for foreign-language learning.Although the potential benefits of such research into language acquisition aregreat, there are a number of popular myths none of which are supported byscientific evidence. In this paper, three prominent examples of these myths areintroduced and it is discussed how they are based on misinterpretation andmisapplication from neuroscience research. The first pervasive example of suchmisconception is the prevalent belief of being the certain critical periods forlearning a second language. It implies that the opportunity to acquire foreignlanguages is lost forever by missing these biological windows. In fact, however,extensive research shows that there are sensitive periods, but not critical periods,during which an individual can acquire certain aspects of language with greaterease than at other times. Another example of myths is a false conviction claimingthat exposing children to a foreign language too early interrupts knowledge oftheir first language. The reality is that learning a second language not onlyimproves language abilities in the first language, but also positively affectsstudents’ academic performance and their general literacy in school. Like theother myths, there is also a popular misconception about ability to learn secondlanguage during sleep. It is demonstrated that previously acquired memories areconsolidated and new association are acquired during sleep. It therefore does notinclude learning a foreign language that requires conscious effort and purposefulendeavor. The main conclusion arising from this argument is that, while ourunderstanding of the neural bases underlying language learning is continuallydeveloping, our educational interpretation of research findings should also evolve.

Keywords:

Foreign Language Education , Cognitive Neuroscience , Neuroscientific Bases of Second language Learning , Neuromyths , Second Language learning