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Language and The Human Brain - Part 1

The document discusses the differences between human and animal brains, focusing on language acquisition and processing. It highlights theories from nativists and cognitivists regarding the brain's structure and function, and examines the localization of language in the brain through evidence from aphasia cases. Additionally, it compares Broca's and Wernicke's aphasia, noting the complexities and limitations of relying solely on brain damage evidence for understanding language processing.

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7 views13 pages

Language and The Human Brain - Part 1

The document discusses the differences between human and animal brains, focusing on language acquisition and processing. It highlights theories from nativists and cognitivists regarding the brain's structure and function, and examines the localization of language in the brain through evidence from aphasia cases. Additionally, it compares Broca's and Wernicke's aphasia, noting the complexities and limitations of relying solely on brain damage evidence for understanding language processing.

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quickdishrecipes0
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© © All Rights Reserved
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PSYCHOLINGUISTICS

LANGUAGE AND THE BRAIN


Introdution
• In what way does the human brain differ from that of animals?
• Nativists:
• Humans are born with a genetically transmitted language faculty.
• They assume a structural difference between the human brain and that of
animals.
• Cognitivists:
• The difference is only operational.
• We have the same brain structure, but the human brain operates differently.
• Where is language located in the brain?
• Chomsky:
• Language must be an independent faculty and not part of our general powers of
thought and reason (acquiring lge is guaranteed # intelligence or learning style).
• Is there a difference in the way the right side and left side of the brain contribute to
language? At what age does that difference become established?
• The relationship between the two parts of the brain is flexible enough for
language to relocate itself on the right when necessary (in case the left
hemisphere is damaged/before 5).
• →The period of flexibility for learning a first language??? (CPH)
BRAIN GEOGRAPHY
1. Front Vs back
2. Left Vs right
3. Upper Vs Lower
General functions of the brain
• 1. Front Vs Back: Each hemisphere is divided into four major regions, known as lobes.
• The frontal lobe at the front: planning and reasoning
• The temporal lobe running from front to back: hearing
• The occipital lobe at the back: vision
• The parietal lobe at the back: general sensing (feeling in the arms, legs, face, etc.)
• 2. Left Vs Right: The brain divides into two hemispheres, joined by a complex web of
nerve connections known as the corpus callosum.
• The left hemisphere controls movement and sensation on the right side of the body:
analytic processing and symbolisation,
• The right hemisphere is linked to the left side: perceptual and spatial representation.
• 3. Upper Vs Lower:
• The upper surface of the brain consists of 'grey matter [the cortex (or cortical area)]:
making connections with stored information, analysing input and controlling muscular
movements.
• The sub-cortex of 'white matter', which is mainly nerve cell fibres, is responsible for
reflex actions, controlling functions such as breathing and heart beats.
• The cerebellum at the base of the brain has a delicate role in coordinating a range of
muscular movements which have become highly automatic.
LOCALISING LANGUAGE IN THE BRAIN
• 2 views of the place of language in the
brain:
• a. language is restricted to a single
location or a limited number of
locations
• b. language is widely distributed
throughout the brain.
LOCALISING LANGUAGE IN THE BRAIN
• Evidence from aphasia:
• Evidence from individuals who had suffered damage to a
particular part of the brain as result of an accident, a stroke or
surgery.
• Paul Broca (French 1863): the lower part of the left frontal
lobe.
• Carl Wernicke (German 1874): the posterior part of the
temporal lobe.
• Damage to either will often (but not always) lead to a condition
known as aphasia, in which patients lose some of their powers
of speech.
• The type of language impairment varies considerably
according to which of the two areas is damaged.
→Different symptoms are associated with Broca's
and with Wernicke's aphasia.
A comparison of Broca’s and Wernicke’s aphasia
Broca’s aphasia Wernicke’s aphasia
Effortful speech; much pausing Effortless speech – fluent, rapid
Almost no syntax Syntactically well-structured,
Few function words or affixes complex function words, affixes
Mainly concrete nouns Many general nouns (e.g. thing,
person) and verbs (e.g. do, go)
Comprehension often good,
but may use positional and Comprehension often severely
semantic cues rather than fully impaired
understanding meaning
Field, 2003, p. 55
Problems in relying heavily on evidence based
upon brain damage.
1. Language processing by brain-damaged patients
may not provide a good model of language
processing by normal users.
2. Many sufferers manifest some but not all of the
symptoms listed above.
3. There are patients who have suffered damage to
the areas identified by Broca and Wernicke,
without showing signs of language impairment.
→This suggests that the location of these sensitive
areas may vary somewhat from one individual to
another.
LATERALISATION IN THE
BRAIN

?????????

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