Laka: 'Language exists in the brain'(language processing? Do they use the sam...),Health

The Mente Bilinge researchers employ two methodologies, amongst others, to investigate the order of words: one analysed the behaviour of word order processing and the other the electrophysiology involved in the processing (the electric signals produced in the brain). This last technique is known as ERP (Evoked Response Potential). In the behavioural methodology the experimental individuals were sat in front of the computers of the Elebilab laboratory at the Faculty of Arts. Either written or auditory cues were provided by the computers with sentences of various structures and the time measured for the individuals to read/listen and respond to the prompts. "For example, the brain needs much less time for processing the Basque sentence, 'otsoak ardiak jan ditu' (the wolf has eaten the sheep) than to understand 'ardiak otsoak jan ditu' (the wolf has eaten the sheep), although both are grammatically correct".

The ERP technique is useful for analysing how we process the language. The subjects wear a cap fitted with 60 electrodes, with the aim of measuring the electricity generated by the brain. "This is very valuable information for us as it enables us to measure with precision the effort made by the brain given certain structures", Dr Laka explained. The first research work undertaken in the Basque Country using the ERP technique was published in 2006 by the member of Mente Bilinge, Mr Kepa Erdozia.

Apart from questions of syntactic processing, they are also analysing the effect of age on the bilingual brain with respect to phonology, vocabulary and grammar, amongst other phenomena. "To date, we know the age of acquisition of a language influences the phonology, given that those learning a language at infancy do not have an accent when speaking; those learning at an adu
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