Decoding the Language Brain
When we speak a foreign language, the brain activates it in much the same way as our first language. Both languages remain constantly present, making it impossible to simply “switch off” one of them. How, then, do we still find the right words in the right language?
In her project “Phonology in the bilingual mental lexicon,” Isabella Fritz investigates how similarities in the sound systems of different languages influence speech comprehension and production. The project focuses on how languages interact in the brain when more than one language is active simultaneously, with particular emphasis on the influence of Austrian German on English.
The project combines linguistic theory with experimental methods, including measuring brain activity as participants listen to and speak a foreign language. Its aim is to provide a better understanding of how languages are organized in the bilingual mental lexicon and how they influence one another.
The FWF ASTRA Award supports outstanding postdoctoral researchers in developing an independent research profile. The project has been awarded 1 million euros in funding.
We warmly congratulate Isabella Fritz on this distinction and look forward to her research at ARI!
Further details about the project are available in the FWF Research Radar