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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Hum. Neurosci.

Sec. Speech and Language

Volume 19 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2025.1663218

This article is part of the Research TopicThe legacy of Dr. Paul Broca: Understanding language productionView all articles

Brain structure correlates of foreign language learning experiences

Provisionally accepted
Xiaoqiao WangXiaoqiao Wang1Jae-Yoon KimJae-Yoon Kim2Jun-Ho KimJun-Ho Kim2Yoonseok ChoiYoonseok Choi2Eun-Gyu HaEun-Gyu Ha2Dong-Hyun KimDong-Hyun Kim2Sunhae SulSunhae Sul3Sujin YangSujin Yang4Hyun-joo SongHyun-joo Song2*
  • 1Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
  • 2Yonsei University, Seodaemun-gu, Republic of Korea
  • 3Pusan National University, Geumjeong-gu, Republic of Korea
  • 4Ewha Womans University, Seodaemun-gu, Republic of Korea

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Previous research demonstrates that bilingual experiences produce dynamic and variable structural adaptations in the brain. However, most studies focus on individuals who naturally acquire multiple languages, leaving the neural effects of long-term foreign language learners with limited exposure less understood. In this study, we examined 32 young adult long-term foreign language learners in South Korea to determine how age of acquisition, proficiency, and daily use shape gray matter volume and white matter integrity in predominantly monolingual environments. We found structural changes in brain regions involved in language control and executive function. Voxel-based morphometry analysis revealed that earlier foreign language acquisition was significantly associated with greater gray matter volume in the left inferior parietal lobule (uncorrected p < .001) and the left thalamus (uncorrected p < .001). Higher daily use was significantly associated with greater volume in the right inferior parietal lobule (uncorrected p = .001) but reduced it in the right anterior cingulate cortex (uncorrected p < .001). Tract-based spatial statistics analysis further showed that earlier age of acquisition was significantly associated with better white matter integrity in the splenium of the corpus callosum (FWE-corrected p = .009), while higher daily use was significantly associated with better integrity in the body of the corpus callosum (FWE-corrected p = .030). These findings suggest that even limited but sustained exposure to a foreign language can lead to significant structural adaptations, broadening our understanding of language-related neuroplasticity beyond traditional bilingual contexts.

Keywords: foreign language learning, Neuroimaging, gray matter volume, White Matter Integrity, structural MRI

Received: 10 Jul 2025; Accepted: 04 Sep 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Kim, Kim, Choi, Ha, Kim, Sul, Yang and Song. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Hyun-joo Song, Yonsei University, Seodaemun-gu, Republic of Korea

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