The Reading Brain and Translinguistic Interactions in Hangul

This chapter discusses the neurolinguistic aspects of reading in Hangul and translinguistic interactions and transfers in bilingualism or multilingualism. The recent scientific enterprise has focused on neural mechanisms behind written text processing in the human brain. Reading-universal networks in the brain as well as differential circuitry that is activated in the brain according to the script being read are reviewed focusing on reading Hangul and Hanja. Discussed next are translinguistic interactions and relationships, as linguistic skills are fluid and flexible. Translinguistic facilitation and interference effects are discussed in light of orthographic, phonological, and morphological processing. Future research into Korean as a heritage language in psycholinguistic and neuronal approaches is warranted.