Electrophysiological evidence for priming in response to words and pseudowords in first and second language

The study purpose was to indicate when language-specific processing first occurs and how first and second language priming processes interact. Event-related potentials were recorded from 14 normal native Hebrew speakers, in a variation of lexical decision task, to pairs of stimuli (S1, S2) in Hebrew, English, Hebrew pseudowords, and English pseudowords. Although no behavioral priming was observed, priming by pseudowords in either language affected both N400 and the late positive component of event related potential. N1 and P2 latencies were longer to S2 in semantically related pairs, indicating that language-specific processing may take place as early as auditory cortex. Different processing of first and second language was evident only in response to pseudowords.