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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

Learning a second language is easier for some adults than others, and innate differences in how the various parts of the brain "talk" to one another may help explain why [sciencedaily.com], according to a study published January 20 in the Journal of Neuroscience.

"These findings have implications for predicting language learning success and failure," said study author Xiaoqian Chai.

The various regions of our brains communicate with each other even when we are resting and aren't engaged in any specific tasks. The strength of these connections -- called resting-state connectivity -- varies from person to person, and differences have previously been linked to differences in behavior including language ability.

Led by Chai and Denise Klein, researchers at McGill University explored whether differences in resting-state connectivity relate to performance in a second language. To study this, the group at the Montreal Neurological Institute scanned the brains of 15 adult English speakers who were about to begin an intensive 12-week French course, and then tested their language abilities both before and after the course.
...
Participants with stronger connections between the left AI/FO and an important region of the brain's language network called the left superior temporal gyrus showed greater improvement in the speaking test. Participants with greater connectivity between the VWFA and a different area of the left superior temporal gyrus language area in the left temporal lobe showed greater improvement in reading speed by the end of the 12-week course.

The study does not establish why, when trying to speak words in another language, it always comes out as Spanish.

Original Submission