Using EEG to Decode Semantics During an Artificial Language Learning Task

As we learn a new language, we begin to map real world concepts onto new orthographic representations until words in a new language conjure as rich a semantic representation as our native language.  Using electroencephalography, we show that it is possible to detect a newly formed semantic mapping as it is learned.  We show that the localization of the neural representations is highly distributed, and the onset of the semantic representation is delayed when compared words in a native language. Our work shows that language learning can be monitored using EEG, suggesting new avenues for both language and learning research