On Path Diagrams and the Neurophenomenal Field in Bilinguals

Conversation is a major site for language use, and each conversation elicits a distinct subjective experience: a specific and dynamic phenomenal field that controls communicative actions. Understanding the neural bases of conversation requires relating them to this phenomenal field, necessitating a neurophenomenology of the bilingual speaker. The author proposes an approach using path diagrams together with retrospective experience sampling to capture the richness of the phenomenal field as a speaker talks through an issue of concern, and to relate this process to large-scale attentional networks. This offers a general approach for developing a neurophenomenology of the bilingual speaker and listener.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Conversation is a major site for our use of language. Each conversation elicits a distinct subjective experience: a specific and dynamic phenomenal field, and it is this field that controls our communicative actions. We cannot hope to understand the neural bases of conversation without relating these to the phenomenal field. We need a neurophenomenology of the bilingual speaker. I propose and illustrate an approach involving path diagrams together with retrospective experience sampling to capture the richness of the phenomenal field as a speaker talks through an issue of concern, and relate this process to large-scale attentional networks. The proposal offers a general approach to developing a neurophenomenology of the bilingual speaker and listener.