Brain activity patterns during reading texts of various registers in students with different language systems

Abstract

Introduction: Investigating the psychophysiological characteristics of perceiving information in different registers within a foreign language environment can help identify factors that impede adaptation and integration into cultural and educational settings. Aims: the study aimed to identify specific psychophysiological patterns of brain activity during the reading of texts by respondents with different native language systems. Materials and methods: participants were students divided into groups: 1. native Russian speakers with English proficiency not lower than B1 level and no experience learning Chinese (n = 16); 2. native Chinese speakers with English proficiency not lower than B1 level and no experience learning Russian (n = 9). Evoked potentials were recorded during the perception of words, images, and texts. The stimulus material consisted of cards with high-frequency nouns in Russian, English, and Chinese with images representing these words; equivalent texts in Russian, English, and Chinese; and comprehension questions for these texts. Electroencephalograms and evoked potentials were recorded simultaneously with a focus on three key parameters: latency, amplitude, and topography. Statistical analysis was performed using the Mann–Whitney U test and linear regression analysis. Results: reading texts of different registers was accompanied by changes in perception, decoding, and comprehension. These changes are driven by altered activity in the brain structures that support written language comprehension. Russian-speaking students adapted more effectively to foreign texts, whereas Chinese-speaking students exhibited greater cognitive performance when processing figurative texts. This difference reflects the influence of cultural and linguistic characteristics on information processing. Conclusion. These findings confirm the existence of language- and text-specific features of information processing at the psychophysiological level. The obtained data can be used for further research in neuropsychology, psychophysiology, psycholinguistics, and intercultural communication.