Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Sound and meaning: how native language affects reading strategies

Nature Neuroscience volume 3, pages 3–5 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

In the Italian language, spelling is consistently related to pronunciation, whereas English words that are spelled similarly are often pronounced differently. An imaging study now shows that native language affects the brain regions activated by reading aloud.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Italian and English subjects place different emphasis on the two processes used to determine how to pronounce written words.

References

  1. Paulesu, E. et al. Nat. Neurosci. 3, 91– 96 (2000).

  2. Patterson, K. & Behrmann, M. J. Exp. Psychol. Hum. Percept. Perform. 23, 1217–1231 ( 1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Coltheart, M., Curtis, B., Atkins, P. & Haller, M. Psychol. Rev. 100, 589–608 (1993).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Plaut, D. C., McClelland, J. F., Seidenberg, M. S. & Patterson, K. Psychol. Rev. 103, 56–115 (1996).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Fiez, J. A. & Petersen, S. E. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94, 914–921 (1998).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Hund-Georgiadis, M. & von Cramon, D. Y. Exp. Brain Res. 125, 417–425 ( 1999).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Raichle, M. E. et al. Cereb. Cortex 4, 8– 26 (1994).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Karni, A. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 861– 868 (1998).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Share, D. L. & Stanovich, K. E. Issues in Education 1, 1–57 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Rumsey, J. M. et al. Arch. Neurol. 54, 562– 573 (1997).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Recanzone, G. H., Merzenich, M. M., Jenkins, W. M., Grajski, K. A. & Dinse, H. R. J. Neurophysiol. 67 , 1031–1056 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, 605 LRDC, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, 15260, Pennsylvania, USA

    Julie A. Fiez

Authors
  1. Julie A. Fiez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fiez, J. Sound and meaning: how native language affects reading strategies. Nat Neurosci 3, 3–5 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/71078

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/71078

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing