Language as a means of human communication is an interesting but really wide topic as it can be seen by the many approaches and subcategories of linguistics like Psycho-, Social- or Neurolinguistics. In the following essay I will try to answer the question whether language is localised to a specific part of the brain so I take a neurolinguistical approach. In order to answer the question above, I will make use of well documented linguistic experiments, the findings from examinations of various aphasia patients and of brain imaging scans. After analysing and discussing the different outcomes I will try to come up with a conclusion which should include a satisfying answer to the question.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Broca's and Wernicke's area
- Split Brain Experiments
- Speech Development in Children
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This essay explores the question of whether language is localized to a specific area of the brain, taking a neurolinguistical approach. It draws upon documented linguistic experiments, examinations of aphasia patients, and brain imaging scans to investigate this topic.
- The role of Broca's and Wernicke's areas in speech production and comprehension.
- The impact of split-brain experiments on our understanding of language localization.
- The evidence from hemispherectomy patients and the variability in language outcomes.
- The development of language in early childhood and the differences in aphasic symptoms observed in children versus adults.
- The complexity of language processing and the possibility of distributed neural networks.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
- Broca's and Wernicke's area: This section introduces the historical context of the question of language localization, highlighting the contributions of Marc Dax, Paul Broca, and Paul Wernicke. It describes the discovery of Broca's area, responsible for articulation, and Wernicke's area, related to language comprehension. The limitations of these findings in terms of individual variation are also acknowledged.
- Split Brain Experiments: This section examines the results of split-brain experiments, which aimed to study the independent functioning of the two hemispheres of the brain. It highlights the findings that the left hemisphere is dominant in language processing and that the two hemispheres can operate independently.
- Speech Development in Children: This section focuses on the development of language in early childhood and the differences in aphasic symptoms between children and adults. It discusses the relative rarity of Wernicke's aphasia in children and suggests that language localization may be more flexible in young brains.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This essay focuses on the localization of language in the brain, exploring key concepts such as Broca's area, Wernicke's area, split-brain experiments, hemispherectomy, aphasia, and language development in children. It also examines the complexities of language processing and the potential for distributed neural networks.
- Quote paper
- M. A., M. Ed. Felix Krenke (Author), 2014, Is language localised to a specific area of the brain?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1007989
