Understanding how language experience affects speech perception in the brain
Official title: Identifying acoustic-level and language-specific sensory processing mechanisms
Funded at St. John's University · NIH-10911151 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how hearing sounds from your native language affects how your brain understands speech, and it's for adults who speak Polish and English.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. John's University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Queens, United States) |
| Project start | August 21, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $205,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM150495-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10911151 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for participation are adults aged 21 and older who are native speakers of Polish or English.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not speak Polish or English may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how experiences with native language sounds influence the brain's processing of speech. By analyzing EEG data from adults who speak Polish and English, the study aims to uncover how quickly and in what way language-specific processing occurs in the brain when listening to speech. Participants will listen to pairs of nonwords that reflect phonetic patterns from their native languages, allowing researchers to explore the neural mechanisms involved in speech perception. The findings could enhance our understanding of language learning and comprehension.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could improve methods for teaching languages and understanding speech processing in individuals with hearing impairments.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding language-specific processing, but this study aims to provide novel insights through cross-linguistic comparisons.
Where this research is happening
-
St. John's University
Queens, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wagner, Monica — St. John's University
- Study coordinator: Wagner, Monica
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.