Language selection (or control) refers to the cognitive mechanism that controls which language to use at a given moment and context. It allows bilinguals to selectively communicate in one target language while minimizing the interferences from the nontarget language. Previous studies have suggested the participation in language control of different brain areas. However, the question remains whether the selection of one language among others relies on a language-specific neural module or general executive regions that also allow switching between different competing behavioral responses including the switching between various linguistic registers. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, we investigated the neural correlates of language selection processes in German-French bilingual subjects during picture naming in different monolingual and bilingual selection contexts. We show that naming in the first language in the bilingual context (compared with monolingual contexts) increased activation in the left caudate and anterior cingulate cortex. Furthermore, the activation of these areas is even more extended when the subjects are using a second weaker language. These findings show that language control processes engaged in contexts during which both languages must remain active recruit the left caudate and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in a manner that can be distinguished from areas engaged in intralanguage task switching.

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In bilinguals, language proficiency has been advanced to influence the involvement of domain-general control networks in language selection. We assessed, in university student translators with moderate- to high-second language (L2) proficiency depending on their translation educational level, the functional activity in the key language and control areas (the caudate nucleus, anterior cingulate, and prefrontal cortex), during task- and language-selection in an oral production context. We found that L2 proficiency influenced the relative involvement of our regions of interest during language selection vs domain-general cognitive control processes. While the left middle frontal and left caudate areas were more involved during linguistic than alphanumeric task selection in the low L2 proficiency group, these regions were similarly involved in both tasks in the high-L2 proficiency group. These findings suggest that language selection relies primarily on a network within domain-general cognitive control system with an increase in resource needs when L2 proficiency is low.

AbstractAfter a brief description of the state of the art, this paper presents new methods of process-oriented translation training. The different instruments used in class, such as questionnaires and other tools, the learning outcome of these methods and the improvement of proficiency achieved by these means, constitute the core of the paper. The third and final part deals with the preliminary results of an interdisciplinary research project with the Department of Neurology of the University Hospital of Geneva, and the prospects for applying this type of research to translation training.

Quel est l'intérêt particulier que présente la traduction médicale en situation d'enseignement universitaire ? Qu'est-ce qui a changé dans ce domaine au fil du temps ? De quels facteurs nouveaux doit tenir compte le professeur en prodiguant cette discipline ? Voilà quelques questions auxquelles nous tentons de répondre en nous basant sur notre propre expérience en situation d'enseignement universitaire.What is the relevance of medical translation in a university-level course? What has changed in this field over the years? What new elements should be taken into account when teaching the course? These are some of the questions that we shall attempt to answer from our own experience in university teaching