This chapter investigates the neural correlates of morphological processing in the Chinese–English bilingual brain, extending the findings of Chinese native speakers from Chaps. 6 and 7 into a cross-linguistic context. Using behavioral measures, ERP, and fNIRS with a derivational priming paradigm, we examined whether bilinguals engage shared or distinct neural resources across their two languages. Results showed both convergence and divergence: ERP data revealed common sub-lexical mechanisms, such as affix-stripping indexed by P250, while fNIRS identified dissociations between morphological parsing (left prefrontal cortex) and semantic association (left temporal regions). Importantly, these effects were stronger and more automatic in L1 Chinese than in L2 English, pointing to differential robustness across languages. These findings support the transfer facilitation model, demonstrating how structural overlap enables L1 resources to scaffold L2 processing, while also aligning with interactive frameworks that stress the role of typological distance and task demands. Together, the results underscore that bilingual morphological processing is sustained by a shared fronto-temporal network but modulated by language-specific engagement, offering new insights into cross-linguistic transfer and bilingual word recognition.

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Neural Correlates of Morphological Processing in the Chinese–English Bilingual Brain

  • Fei Gao

摘要

This chapter investigates the neural correlates of morphological processing in the Chinese–English bilingual brain, extending the findings of Chinese native speakers from Chaps. 6 and 7 into a cross-linguistic context. Using behavioral measures, ERP, and fNIRS with a derivational priming paradigm, we examined whether bilinguals engage shared or distinct neural resources across their two languages. Results showed both convergence and divergence: ERP data revealed common sub-lexical mechanisms, such as affix-stripping indexed by P250, while fNIRS identified dissociations between morphological parsing (left prefrontal cortex) and semantic association (left temporal regions). Importantly, these effects were stronger and more automatic in L1 Chinese than in L2 English, pointing to differential robustness across languages. These findings support the transfer facilitation model, demonstrating how structural overlap enables L1 resources to scaffold L2 processing, while also aligning with interactive frameworks that stress the role of typological distance and task demands. Together, the results underscore that bilingual morphological processing is sustained by a shared fronto-temporal network but modulated by language-specific engagement, offering new insights into cross-linguistic transfer and bilingual word recognition.