英语语言学课件Chapter15LanguageandtheBra.ppt

Chapter 15,Language and the Brain,Neurolinguistics,The study of the relationship between language and the brainThe case of Phineas Gage:a huge metal rod had gone through the front part of Mr.Gages brain,his language abilities were unaffected,Parts of the Brain,Two nearly symmetrical halves,the right and left hemispheresCorpus callosum:a bundle of nerve fibers,connecting the two hemispherescortex:supports higher brain functions,including language;thin,folded sheet on surface of brain Brocas area:responsible for speech production(close to motor areas),Parts of the Brain,Wernickes Area:responsible for speech comprehension(close to auditory areas)The motor cortex:controls the movement of the muscles for articulationThe arcuate fasciculus:a bundle of nerve fibers connecting Brocas area and Wernickes Area,The localization view,Specific aspects of language ability can be accorded specific locations in the brainOther views-pathway metaphor-Freuds steam engine metaphor-Aristotle cold sponge metaphor,Tongue tips and slips,Tip-of the tongue:you know the word,but it just wont come to the surfaceSlip-of-the tongue:results in tangled expressionsSlip-of-the ear:errors in hearing,Aphasia,An impairment of language function due to localized cerebral damage which leads to difficulty in understanding and/or producing linguistic formsBrocas AphasiaIdentified 1861 by Paul Broca,a Parisian neurologist Also called motor aphasiaCharacterized by a substantially reduced amount of speech,distorted articulation and slow,often effortful speech,Aphasia,-Wernickes aphasia-Identified 1873 by Carl Wernicke,eminent German neurologist-Results in difficulties in auditory comprehension-also called sensory aphasia,Aphasia,Conduction aphasia:damage to the arcuate fasciculusNo articulation problemsFluent,but may have disrupted rhythm because of pauses and hesitationWhat is heard and understood cannot be transferred to the speech production area,Dichotic listening test,An experimental technique:the language functions must be located in the left hemisphereBasic assumption:a signal coming in the right ear will go to the left hemisphere and a signal coming in the left ear will go to the right hemisphereright ear advantageThe right hemisphere handles non-verbal sounds and the left hemisphere handles language sounds,The Critical Period,lateralization:the apparent specialization of the left hemisphere for languageThe lateralization process begins in early childhoodDuring childhood,there is a period when human brain is most ready to receive and learn a particular language,Genies case,In 197013 year old girl,spent most of her life tied to a chair in small closed roomPhysical,sensory,social emotional deprivationAfter brought into care,she developed an ability to speak and understand a fairly large number of English wordsProvides some evidence against the notion that language cannot be acquired after the critical periodThe remarkable fact:Genie was using the right hemisphere of her brain for language functions,