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Language and the brain Introduction to Linguistics Language + brain = neurolinguistics • The study of the neural and electrochemical bases of language development and use psycholinguistics • The study of the acquisition, storage, comprehension, and production of language The brain http://www.g2conline.org/2022 Physical features of the brain • Temporal lobe • Perception and recognition of auditory stimuli • Frontal lobe Hemisphere • Higher thinking and language production • Parietal lobe • Least involved in language perception and production • Occipital lobe • Vision Cortex • Auditory • Visual • Motor Language centers Language centers Broca’s area Wernicke’s area Arcuate fasciculus Angular gyrus • Language production • Language comprehension • Connection between Broca’s area and Wernicke’s area • Converts visual stimuli into auditory stimuli, or vice versa. • The capacity to read and write Producing a spoken word Wernicke’s area Accessing the lexicon Arcuate fasciculus Phonetic info from W to B Broca’s area Interpreting the received info Motor cortex Directing the movement of muscles for articulation Hearing a word Auditory cortex Wenicke’s area • Processing received info by • Interpreting the info and ears matching it to a lexical entry Reading a word Visual cortex Angular gyrus Wenicke’s • Processing • Associating area received info by written form of eyes word with lexical entry • Making available the meaning and pronunciation of word How the brain works • The brain is composed of neurons. – Neurons are the basic units of information processing in the nervous system. – There are about 10 billion interconnected neurons. LATERALIZATION OF BRAIN HEMISPHERES Contralateral Split brain experiments • The two hemispheres of the brain is connected by corpus callosum. • The function of corpus callosum – To commute the info between the two sides of the brain. What would happen if corpus callosum is cut? • Play the split brain experiments game at http://nobelprize.org/educational_games/me dicine/split-brain/index.html Aphasia Aphasia • A language disorder produced by brain damage • Major types – Broca’s aphasia – Wernike’s aphasia Broca’s aphasia (Expressive aphasia) • Symptoms – Unable to express themselves by more than a single word at a time – Content words are ok; function words are not – “Yes... ah... Monday... er... Dad and Peter H... and Dad.... er... hospital... and ah... Wednesday... Wednesday, nine o'clock... and oh... Thursday... ten o'clock, ah doctors... two... an' doctors... and er... teeth... yah’” • Damaged area Wernike’s aphasia • Symptoms – Fluent speech with no informational value – Comprehension is impaired. • “I called my mother on the television and did not understand the door. It was too breakfast, but they came from far to near. My mother is not too old for me to be young.” • Damaged area – Temporal lobe of the left hemisphere Broca vs. Wernicke • Broca’s aphasia – Prevents a person from producing speech – Person can understand language – Words are not properly formed – Speech is slow and slurred. • Wernicke’s aphasia – Loss of the ability to understand language – Person can speak clearly but the words that are put together make no sense. Conduction aphasia • No connection between Broca’s area and Wernike’s area • Symptoms – Be able to understand and produce speech, but cannot repeat what they have just heard. Dyslexia • Dyslexia – The impairment of reading ability • Symptoms • Problems with spelling • Reading difficulties • Difficulties in recognizing individual sounds in words • Difficulties in naming things. • Problems organizing in the right order Brain plasticity • The ability of the brain to reorganize the neural pathways based on new experiences. – The environment plays an important role. • The implications on learning? QUESTIONS?