David Mollenkamp

Jehnna Ronan
THINK 15
March 17, 2016
Unit 3 Grant Proposal
Question & Rationale
The critical period for primary language acquisition is a time period within an
individuals life during which it is vital to learn a language. Studies have shown that not learning
a language within this period could lead to a lack of social capabilities in the future and other
negative results (Steels, 2002, p. 4) (Flege, 1999, p. 83). In recent years, this concept has been
extended, leading to the discovery of a critical period for secondary language acquisition
(Johnson, 1989, p. 83). Since its discovery, there have been few studies attempting to determine
precisely how acquiring a second language within this period changes the structure of the brain.
However, several experiments reveal that learning a secondary language may yield some benefits
such as increased ability to communicate in social situations (Asher, 1969, p. 23). Wernickes
area and Brocas area are two of the most commonly referred to portions of the brain when
discussing language comprehension and production because a correlation between the two areas
and linguistic ability has been recognized for quite some time. Furthermore, a good measure of
structural changes within the brain is the density of white and gray matter. Since the density of
both white and gray matter change over time relative to activity within given brain regions,
measuring these two quantities should provide us with a good idea as to whether or not
fundamental structural changes are occurring as a result of secondary language acquisition. On
account of these facts, the proposed experiment considers the question: does the density of white

and gray matter increase in Wernicke and Brocas area at a greater rate for individuals who learn
second languages at the hypothesized critical period for secondary language acquisition than for
those who do not learn second languages?
Upon completion of this study, we expect to see a significant increase in the density of
both white and gray matter in Wernickes area and Brocas area in the individuals who learned a
second language between the ages of six to twelve. We anticipate this increase because
Wernickes area is directly associated to speech production while Brocas area is more closely
associated with speech processing. Since this experiment deals with language courses that
emphasize both, there should be a somewhat analogous increase in density of gray and white
matter in both areas.
Experimental Design:
In order to analyze the effects of secondary language acquisition on the brain within the
critical period for language learning, we will select a group of approximately 200 children of
four years of age who are enrolled in the same private school with which the experiment will be
conducted in partnership. We will ensure that each selected individual has grown up in an
English-speaking, monolingual household. Furthermore, we will control for socioeconomic
status of their households and the overall living environment of each child so that the results are
not influenced by such factors. Once the students have been selected, we will use an MRI
machine to determine the shape and size of Broca and Wernickes area. Then, the group will be
arbitrarily divided into five subgroups of 40 students. The subgroups will be made substantially
large in order to attempt to control for individuals who have a natural inclination to learn
languages more easily than others.

As mentioned, all of the students will attend the same school to control for teaching
quality and the educational environment. Throughout their time at the school, the five different
groups will take exactly the same classes except for the language course. One group, (the
control) will take the English program, while the other four groups will take either Spanish,
Arabic, Chinese, or German. We will offer such a diverse list of languages because we want to
ensure that the structural effects on the brain cannot be accounted for by one language or
language family. Thus, the languages span the Indo-European, the Sino-Tibetan, and the AfroAsiatic family, which are the three most widely used language families in the world. While these
four groups are in class, the control group will be in English class, learning fundamental skills
while engaging the portions of the brain concerned with language production.
The material presented within each class (including English) will focus on writing,
reading, speaking, and listening. To ensure that each class emphasizes all four skills, the syllabi
will be produced by the researchers. This broad array of activities will engage both Wernicke and
Brocas area. At the end of every year, we will test each of the students via MRI machine to
determine a change in the density of white and gray matter in respect to the first test. The study
will end at the end of the students sixth grade, when each student will be twelve years old. A
final study determining the density of the white and gray matter in both Wernicke and Brocas
area at that point will provide us with significant data to draw results from.
Predicted Results
As shown below, we expect that the students who took English classes as well as those
involved in the secondary language programs will experience an increase in the density of white
and gray matter. However, the students who participated in the secondary language programs

will experience a greater increase in the density of both white and gray matter because of the
acquisition of entirely new sensory skills. Notably, those who took the German class are
expected to see a slightly less significant increase because of the close relation between English
and German. The other languages, however, will experience a slightly greater increase in the
white and gray matter density. Also of significance, the increase in both white and gray matter
within Brocas area and Wernickes area is of similar magnitude. This is so because the manner
in which the courses are taught aim to exercise both language comprehension and production
such that activity should increase white and gray matter density in each.

Density of White Matter in Brocas Area with

Respect to Time
English

German

Spanish

Arabic

Chinese

Density of White Matter (count/mm3)

340

255

170

85

0
0

Years (from age 4)

Density of Gray Matter in Brocas Area with

Respect to Time

Density of White Matter (count/mm3)

340

255

170

85

Years (from age 4)

Density of Gray Matter in Brocas Area with

Respect to Time

Density of White Matter (count/mm3)

340

255

170

85

0
0

Years (from age 4)

Density of Gray Matter in Wernickes Area

with Respect to Time

Density of White Matter (count/mm3)

340

255

170

85

0
0

Years (from age 4)

Interpreting Results
The anticipated data would suggest that learning a second language within the critical
period for secondary language acquisition may cause an increased concentration of both white
and gray matter within Wernicke and Brocas area over the given time period. The fact that the
students are enrolled in all the same classes apart from the language learning course and have
similar former backgrounds support this conclusion. Nevertheless, there are some limitations that
could not be controlled for in the experiment. First, because the students all were born into upper
middle class families, it is unclear as to whether these findings would extend to individuals in
other circumstances. Perhaps the fact that these students live in comfortable environments with
few familial worries may allow for them to experience white and gray matter plasticity more
easily as found by a study conducted by Hair (2015, p. 829). Ultimately, because of the similarity

of the subjects, it is unclear as to whether or not these results would be generalizable to the
greater population. Also, since this study only focuses on Broca and Wernickes area, we will not
know the overall effects that secondary language learning has on the overall brain. Perhaps it
affects other portions of the brain that we have neglected. However, focusing on only Wernicke
and Brocas area will allow us to input greater attention and detail.
In regards to alternative solutions, it is possible that instead of finding the results we
anticipate, we may find that those in the English program display a greater increased density of
gray matter than those in the secondary language programs have. This result might lead us to
conclude that learning a secondary language within the critical period for language acquisition
may negatively affect the growth of both Wernicke and Brocas area given that decreased density
of grey and white matter is often correlated with decreased use of a particular brain region.
However, it seems unlikely that we would observe this as a result. Alternatively, we may find
that the concentrated density of white and gray matter grows at the same rate for individuals who
took the English program as it does for those enrolled in the language programs. This result
would lead us to conclude that in fact learning a language within the critical period for secondary
language learning may not be beneficial for childhood development whatsoever. This result
seems much more plausible than the previous alternative solution. If so, this might encourage us
to alter our understanding of how secondary language learning changes the brain.
Overall, this experiment would enable us to determine fully whether or not learning a
secondary language within the critical period for secondary language acquisition affects the
structure of the brain by analyzing how the density of white and gray matter changes in Wernicke
and Brocas area. Grasping a fundamental understanding of these changes might allow us to

better understand the structural effects of learning a secondary language within this time frame
and lead to further studies which will provide an even greater insight into the value of secondary
language learning.

References
Asher, J. J., & Garcia, R. (1969). The Optimal Age to Learn a Foreign Language. The Modern
Language Journal, 53(5), 23-34.
Flege, J. E., Yeni-Komshian, G. H., & Liu, S. (1999). Age constraints on second-language
acquisition. Journal of memory and language, 41(1), 78-104.
Hair, N. L., Hanson, J. L., Wolfe, B. L., & Pollak, S. D. (2015). Association of child poverty,
brain development, and academic achievement. JAMA pediatrics, 169(9), 822-829
Johnson, J. S., & Newport, E. L. (1989). Critical period effects in second language learning: The
influence of maturational state on the acquisition of English as a second language.
Cognitive psychology, 21(1), 60-99.
Steels, L., & Kaplan, F. (2002). Aibos first words: The social learning of language and meaning.
Evolution of communication, 4(1), 3-32.