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! n, T4 f, \' j) N+ f, W. k: Q4 j( h说汉语者使用大脑更多部分" o! H. W" I3 B2 Q' |# y1 `. @5 O
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说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边
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& j7 s3 o( Z; ]/ H' n英国的研究人员发现,说汉语普通话的人可能比说英语的人用更多大脑。研究表明,说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边。 . w% c, W. ^4 z2 |
说英语者只使用大脑一边。研究人员说,这项研究能够促进了解大脑处理语言的过程。 $ x- \8 i/ a7 i% i
另外,这项研究还可以帮助研究人员找到更好的办法,帮助人们在中风或者脑部受到类似损害后重新学习,掌握语言技能。 1 j3 e3 W5 k2 P5 g5 x# z
在这项研究中,操汉语普通话和操英语的两组人接受脑部扫描。研究人员发现,人们讲英语时,靠近左太阳穴的左颞叶开始活跃。 * Z: v7 R: R( C6 o. [. M; D; u
他们发现,大脑这个区域的功能是把发音联系起来,形成单个词汇。 0 \" r/ p3 ~) \/ p3 v% ~
研究发现,人们说汉语时,左颞叶和右颞叶一起活跃。研究人员说,说不同语言时,人的大脑在以不同方式破译语言。这就推翻了长期以来的看法。
$ _/ r& K8 o# n: `' ?; Q6 x. m! M汉语普通话十分难学。不同于操英语者,说汉语者使用音调区分不同词的不同意思。比如"马"音,用不同音调发音,可以是马,妈等不同的意思。 J4 I2 l0 D3 Z" ]
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) T) N- c+ b, L% qChinese 'takes more brainpower' $ L( c3 i8 T0 k: R
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Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests.
+ o: p. g; g: E, E+ QResearchers in Britain have found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both sides of their brain to understand the language. % s+ \8 ]' ~& C
: ~0 |; r* c8 r8 ~; ~6 v0 Y6 eThis compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain. g6 C) y8 e& ~/ t/ H% G3 v' I/ J
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The researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages.
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% W+ D: x" j% l8 p* X7 o8 n$ H6 ~This, in turn, could one day help scientists to develop better ways of helping people to re-learn languages after a stroke or similar damage to the brain.
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Brain scans : b6 ?9 U; F( p8 I% ^& |% e, r& u
8 y$ g5 ~4 G9 P t9 @9 p( q3 uDr Sophie Scott and colleagues at the Wellcome Trust carried out brain scans on a group of Mandarin and English speakers.
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They found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English. : V9 x* P) @' g4 l
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: L4 o* f' I4 i4 l5 eThe researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words. 2 ~) N: ^2 b9 f: U
" j7 y9 u1 u. E0 e. D& pThey expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers. + \; m5 {& K* }( Y/ [
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However, they found that both their left and right temporal lobes become active when they hear Mandarin. 7 e( f( F1 N/ Y( t2 C
2 L5 e+ Z0 F# t! j: }# `9 Z"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott. {' }' D# U: M R: f% O
: w V# z2 n" a9 `' m( [9 k"It overturned some long-held theories." ^ Y, D% q$ {) T- x7 s1 q
4 Z y0 u9 V3 ]2 R$ y! i! NMandarin is a notoriously difficult language to learn. Unlike English, speakers use intonation to distinguish between completely different meanings of particular words. 7 s2 ~' _' R' [9 H
2 l; G. z/ R1 G# XFor instance, the word "ma" can mean mother, scold, horse or hemp depending on how it is said.
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, Y1 _; I9 O' W: Y/ P" K) Z* RThe researchers believe that this need to interpret intonation is why Mandarin speakers need to use both sides of their brain.
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The right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones. $ S0 y) |; V7 @ M) \% Z
# P5 |. v9 Q) |2 S$ V$ g: ^"We think that Mandarin speakers interpret intonation and melody in the right temporal lobe to give the correct meaning to the spoken words," said Dr Scott. ! ?1 o4 U2 v8 B) A) L; \
0 L' b' ^% q. n"It seems that the structure of the language you learn as a child affects how the structure of your brain develops to decode speech.
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"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin."
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Learning languages # R/ K5 `, c# G& G8 V( x5 U
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Dr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language.
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It could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke.
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She suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills. ! @1 `' I! V; z$ m* \2 @
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"There is evidence from other studies that certain drugs affect learning in the brain regions that support hearing and speech," she said.
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"This is something we can improve on."
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Dr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study. 9 ?9 q4 G$ c; T, P: Z0 B
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"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online. 7 j* Q0 R o& \- `' s2 s
( M7 V9 q. ?, m: [, ^"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language.
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"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said.
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* t" p# E! ?2 a9 V( u) n* A"This field is really opening up but it is very early days."
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8 Z. X5 X7 G! I. RThe findings will be included in the summer science exhibition at the Royal Society in London, which runs from 1 to 3 July. , }! \! ~+ I V4 M! `5 l1 g
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Story from BBC NEWS:
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[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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