origins of language and language and the brain

7/30/2019 Origins of Language and Language and the Brain

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ht tp: / /youtu .be/sDocL7Af IRo

What is Language all about?
http://youtu.be/sDocL7AfIRohttp://youtu.be/sDocL7AfIRohttp://youtu.be/sDocL7AfIRo


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What is Language?

Language is the method of

human communication, eitherspoken, written, consisting of

the use of words in a structured

and conventional way.


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Communication Interaction

Substantial variation

Flow of speech Eye-contact (cultural)

Body language (cultural)

Reaction to audience

Is there a message

always being conveyed?

What else is language?


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The Origins of Language

Divine Source: God-given language, no exposure

needed Many religions state that a god or divine

being created language/languages

Natural Sound Theory: Bow-Wow Hypothesis,

Onomatopoeia Primitive languages began when humans imitated sounds that

they heard in nature


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The Origins of Language

Physical Adaptation: Specialization of the human

Vocal Tract The human body is specialized to produce speech. Other animals

(specifically chimpanzees and apes) have similar bodily structures,

but cannot speak. Only humans are specialized for speech.

Genetic Source: Innateness hypothesis Humans are born with a special capacity for language genetically

hard-wired into our brains. There may even be a language gene.


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The Vocal Tract: How we speak

Lungs: Force air through the

vocal tract

Larynx:The voice box containing the

vocal cords/folds which produce speech

sounds

Pharynx: A cavity which acts as a

resonator, making sounds louder,

clearer, and giving them greater range

Mouth: (Oral cavity) can be

opened and closed rapidly

Tongue: Muscular speech organ

used to shape sounds inside theoral cavity

Lips: Flexibility allows for

creation of sounds likep and b

Teeth: Upright and firm allowing

for creation of sounds like fand v


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Chimp vs. Human:Why we can speak but other primates cant.

The physical structure of the human body allows us to produce a wide variety

of speech sounds. While chimpanzees and other primates have similar physical

structures, they are arranged differently, in a manner not conducive to the production

of speech sounds.

Chimpanzee Human


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Language and the Brain Chapter 12 (Yule)

Neurolinguistics: The study of the relationship

between language and the brain

Where is language production located inside the

brain?Medical evidence shows that language is produced in

specific brain locations: Brocas Area and Wernickes

Area, both located in the brains left hemisphere

Brain injuries might cause or be directly related to:Language-impairment, including language production

and comprehension

Conversation maintenance issues


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Severe Brain Injury and Language

Phineas Gage (Cavendish, Vermont) - In 1848, a steel tampingrod (13 lbs., 1.25 diameter) exploded through his skull and his

left frontal cortex. He physically recuperated and returned to

work, his speech ability apparently unaltered. Therefore, the

left-front part of the brain does NOT control speech.


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Left Hemisphere: Parts of the brain that control speech

Brocas Area: Involved in theproduction of speech sounds

Wernickes Area: Involved in

the understanding of speech

Motor Cortex: Controls themovement of muscles, including

those of the face, jaw, tongue,

and larynx

Arcuate Fasciculus: Connects

Wernickes Area to Brocas Area

-A reduction in both size and activity in the

arcuate fasciculus has been linked to

dyslexia.

http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-

scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-

0813.html
http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.htmlhttp://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brain-scans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia-0813.html


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http://youtu.be/241IFiPKR2o

Brain surgery and language
http://youtu.be/241IFiPKR2ohttp://youtu.be/241IFiPKR2ohttp://youtu.be/241IFiPKR2o


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Speech Phenomenon: Tip of the Tongue

y

This dog of yours is not very whats the

word Im looking for? He doesnt think

about other people before he does

something. Its kind of a long word, starts

with a C.

Considerate?

Yeah. This dogs not very considerate.

Tip of the tongue: When you can think of

the general structure of the word, often

including the initial sound and number of

syllables, but cannot produce the word.


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Speech Phenomenon: Malapropisms

Malapropism: When we say an incorrect word which hasstructural similarities to the word we meant to say.

Examples:

- apprehension instead ofcomprehension

- unparalyzed instead ofunparalleled

- hostile instead ofhostage- condemned instead ofcommended

We cannot let terror is ts and rogue

nat ions hold th is nat ion hos t i le or

hold our all ies host i le.~George W. Bush

August 21, 2000


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Speech Phenomenon: Spoonerisms

Spoonerism (Slip of the tongue) A spoken error often

involving the interchange of two initial sounds

Examples:

- Make a long shory stort (Make a long story short)

- A tup of kea (A cup of tea)

Spoonerisms get their name

from William Spooner

(1844-1930), a clergymanwho once described Jesus

as a shoving leopard when

he meant to say loving

shepherd.


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Speech Phenomenon: Slip of the Ear

Have you seen my

gray tape?

Your great ape?!


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To force heaven, Mars shall have a new angel.

247 Marshall Avenue, Angel (CA)


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AN IMPAIRMENT OF LANGUAGE FUNCTION

DUE TO LOCALIZED BRAIN DAMAGE THATLEADS TO DIFFICULTY IN UNDERSTANDING

OR PRODUCING LINGUISTIC FORMS

THE STUDY OF LANGUAGE, YULE, 2010

COMMON CAUSES OF APHASIA ARE

STROKES AND TRAUMATIC HEAD INJURIES.

APHASIA


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Aphasia

Aphasia is an impairment of language function due

to localized brain damage

Commonly caused by stroke, trauma, head injuries

Mild to severe Difficulties understanding will lead to difficulties

producing language

Understanding and speaking abilities are deeply

connected


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What do you think?

What do you think could happen if a stroke

occurred on the left side of the brain?


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Aphasia

Brocas (or expressive) Motor aphasia

Reduced amount ofspeech

Distorted articulation

Slow, effortful speech

Speech mainly formed by

nouns and verbs

Agrammatic speech

I eggs and eat and drink

coffee breakfast.

Wernickes (or sensory) Sensory aphasia

Difficulties in auditory (listening)

comprehension

Production of fluent yetincomprehensible speech

Use of general terms

I cant talk all of the things I do,

and part of the part I can go

alright, but I cant tell from the

other people.

Anomia difficulty finding the

correct word


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Kirk Douglashttp://youtu.be/_k6aemk6sck

Actor Kirk

Douglas

suffered a

severe stroke in

1996, which

impaired his

ability to speak.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k6aemk6sckhttp://youtu.be/_k6aemk6sckhttp://youtu.be/_k6aemk6sckhttp://youtu.be/_k6aemk6sckhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k6aemk6sckhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k6aemk6sck


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H T T P : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W A T C H ? V = B -

L D 5 J Z X P L E & F E A T U R E = S H A R E & L I S T = P L 2 E D 8 4 7 93 A 9 0 F F B 5 5

Wernickes aphasia samples
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-LD5jzXpLE&feature=share&list=PL2ED84793A90FFB55http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-LD5jzXpLE&feature=share&list=PL2ED84793A90FFB55http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-LD5jzXpLE&feature=share&list=PL2ED84793A90FFB55http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-LD5jzXpLE&feature=share&list=PL2ED84793A90FFB55http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-LD5jzXpLE&feature=share&list=PL2ED84793A90FFB55http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-LD5jzXpLE&feature=share&list=PL2ED84793A90FFB55http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-LD5jzXpLE&feature=share&list=PL2ED84793A90FFB55http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-LD5jzXpLE&feature=share&list=PL2ED84793A90FFB55


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Different views on recovery for bilinguals(Vaid and Genesee, 1980)

Ribots LawLanguages learnedearlyin development

would be more

resistant to impairmentcaused by brain

damage and wouldrecover before

languages which havebeen acquiredsubsequently(Vaid &

Genesee, 1980, p.420)

Pitress LawPitres believed that

the language(s)that were used themostpreceding the

cerebral insultbefore the brain

damage occurredwould recover first.


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Language is a lot more than words


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Critical Period

Is there a Critical Period to learn a first language?

Feral child/wild child

Noam Chomsky: acquisition/learning (language is

acquired, not taught or learned)

Eric Lenneberg: puberty as limit for language

acquisition

Researchers have quite different opinions on the age

for the critical period The Forbidden Experiment

Is there a critical period for second language

acquisition?


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Genie

http://youtu.be/VjZolHCrC8E
http://youtu.be/VjZolHCrC8Ehttp://youtu.be/VjZolHCrC8Ehttp://youtu.be/VjZolHCrC8E

origins of language and language and the brain

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