神经语言学和心理语言学
Chapter 12Language and the Language and the BrainBrainTwo Branches of Linguistics Neurolinguistics 神经语言学 Psycholinguistics 心理语言学 Traditionally, linguists pay more attention to language system itself. Now, the technological advances enables more investigation of the human brain and language processing. NeurolinguisticsNeurolinguistics is the study of two related areas: language disorders and the relationship between brain and language. It includes research into How the brain is structured What function each part of the brain performs How and in which parts of the brain language is stored How damage to the brain affects the ability to use languageThe focus of this SectionThe focus of this Section A brief survey of the brain structure and its function The methods used in the study of the brain in terms of evideces for lateralization (referring to cognitive functions controlled either by the left or the right side of the brain)(边侧性) The different types of language disturbance that result from the brain damageThe biological foundations of language By far, human beings are the only species that possess language ability. Our linguistic ability is a biological gift of the speciess gene program.Speech organs These organs consist of lips, teeth, tongue, oral cavity, nasal cavity, palate(硬腭), velum(软腭), pharynx(咽), epiglottis(会厌), vocal cord(声带), pulmonic cavity(肺腔) and so on.Human teethupright, not slanting outwards, the top and the bottom sets can meetLipsmuscles which show more intricate interlacing than those of other animalsmouthrelatively small, can open and shut rapidlytonguethick, muscular and flexible enough to get in touch with other parts of the oral cavity.The structure and function of the human braincartoonweight: 1,400 gramsComponent: ten billion nerve cells called neuron and billions of fibers that connect these neurons.Neuron: the basic information processing units of the nervous systemTwo sections of the brain The lower section:the brain stem the higher section: cerebrumthe brain stemConnecting to the spinal cord(脊椎) and shared by all animals, keeps the body alive by maintaining the essential functions such as respiration, heart rate, and muscle co-ordinationCerebrumThe cerebrum that differs in different species is not essential for life.小脑皮层Gyrus 脑回 Sulcus 回间沟 Fissure 裂缝Cerebral CortexThe cerebral cortex is the decision-making organ of the body and storehouse of “memory”. It receives messages from all the sensory organs and initiates all voluntary actions. It is the cerebral cortex that accounts for the human distinctness in the animal world and it is within the human cortext that the secrets of language representation and processing are to be found. Animals, reptiles and amphibians have no cortex at all.Cerebral hemispheresThe left and the right brain The main connection between them is a bundle of nerve fibres known as the corpus callosum胼胝体, a pathway leading one to another, allowing the two hemispheres to communicate with each other. Each hemisphere of the human brain is responsible for different functions. Each hemisphere controls the opposite half of the body in terms of muscle movement and sensation.The left hemisphere seems to do better in language, rhythmic perception, temporal-order judgments and mathematical thinking The right hemispheres show distinct abilities and responsibilities, complex mental activities such as language do not always fall neatly into one hemisphere or the other but involve the coordinated functioning of both hemispheres.4 lobes of cerebral cortex额叶 顶叶颞叶枕叶Responsible for planning, prediction, speech and discrete movement of the bodyReading ability and sensationsAudition, memory processing and sensory integrationVisual processingRevision The structure of the human brain Three parts in human brain (1) brain stem (脑干): keeps the body alive by maintaining the essential functions such as respiration, heart rate, and muscle co- ordination. (2) cerebellum (小脑): responsible for controlling body equilibrium and regulating the function of voluntary movements. (3) cerebrum (大脑): important for language psychology The surface of the cerebrum: cerebral cortex (大脑皮层) is the information processing and decision-making organ and the biological basis of human psychology. The structure of the human brainThe importance of cerebral cortex It is the cerebral cortex that accounts for the human distinctness in the animal world and it is within the human cortex that the secrets of language representation and processing are to be found. Major mental functions under the control of each cerebral hemisphere Such localization of cognitive and perceptual functions in a particular hemisphere of the brain is called brain lateralization. Left cerebral hemisphereRight cerebral hemispherecontrol the right side of human body language and speech a