On the afternoon of October 17, 2018, Prof. Mei Leilei from the South China Normal University visited our center and gave a talk entitled “The Neural Mechanism of Interaction between First Language (L1) and Second Language (L2) During Second Language Learning”. Many postgraduates and visiting scholars interested with this topic attended the lecture.

Professor Mei Leilei introduced their series investigation on the influence of second language learning on first language processing, and discussed in depth the underlying neural mechanisms. Based on his findings, he suggested that L1 reading experience could adjust one’s selection of cognitive route to access phonetic information when processing L2. Meanwhile, he added, both long-term and short-term L2 learning experience can restructure the neural correlates specific to L1.

With regard to inter-language neural pattern similarity, recent studies of Prof. Mei showed that the similarity between the neural pattern of L1 and L2 will increase with the development of L2 learning, and the extent to which the two neural patterns are assimilated may be affected by language similarity.

Professor Mei's clear and informative lecture have led the audience into a fantastic world of neurocognitive research on bilinguals and broadentheir horizons.