Attention to language: Novel MEG paradigm for registering involuntary language processing in the brain

► We suggest a new MEG paradigm to test auditory and linguistic processing in the brain. ► Initial enhanced oddball response reflects automatic neural auditory discrimination. ► P3a response only to spoken stimuli indicates involuntary attention shift to language. ► A larger pseudoword than word response reflects neural processes of lexical search. ► Different levels of auditory linguistic processing can be tested in one simple design.