Language and the Brain

Question 1

Neurolinguistics

Answer 1

Neurolinguistics is the study of the relationship between language and the brain.

Question 2

Broca’s area

Answer 2

Broca’s area is involved in the production of speech which is located in left hemisphere.

Question 3

Wernike’s area

Answer 3

Wernike’s area, in posterior speech cortex, is involved in the understanding of speech.

Question 4

Motor cortex

Answer 4

Motor cortex controls movement of the muscles.

Question 5

physically articulate the word

Answer 5

The word is heard and comprehended via Wernick’s area. This signal is transferred to Broca’s area where preparations are made to produce it. A signal is then sent
to the motor cortex to physically articulate the word.

Question 6

localization view

Answer 6

According to localization view linguistic abilities have identifiable location in the brain.

Question 7

tip of the tongue

Answer 7

In “tip of the tongue” you feel that some word is eluding you that you know the word, but it won’t come to the surface.

Question 8

Malapropisms

Answer 8

When we make mistakes in this retrieval process, there are strong phonological similarities between the target word and the mistake. For example, speakers produced secant, sextet, and sexton, when asked to name a particular type of navigational instrument.
These mistakes are Malapropisms

Question 9

Slip of the tongue

Answer 9

Slip of the tongue as speech error, results in tangled expressions such as “long shory stort” for make “a long story short”. This phenomenon also known as spoonerism

Question 10

Slip of the ear

Answer 10

Slip of the ear is error in hearing. For example instead of hearing great ape we hear grey type.

Question 11

Aphasia

Answer 11

Aphasia is defined as an impairment of language function due to localized cerebral (brain) damage which leads to difficulty in understanding any or producing linguistic forms

Question 12

Broca’s aphasia

Answer 12

Broca’s aphasia is characterized by reduced amount of speech, distorted articulation and slow effortful speech

Question 13

Agrammatic

Answer 13

Agrammatic is the frequent omission of functional morphemes.

Question 14

Wernicke’s aphasia or sensory aphasia

Answer 14

Wernicke’s aphasia or sensory aphasia is when someone produces very fluent speech which is often difficult to make sense

Question 15

conduction aphasia

Answer 15

In conduction aphasia people are fluent but may have disrupted rhythm because of pauses and hesitations.

Question 16

dichotic listening test.

Answer 16

The technique showing the language functions must be located in the left hemisphere is called dichotic listening test. A basic assumption is that 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 hemisphere. The fact that one often correctly identifies the sound which comes via the right ear is known as the right ear advantage for linguistic sound. Right hemisphere handles non- verbal sounds.

Question 17

lateralization (one- sided-ness).

Answer 17

The specialization of the left hemisphere for language is described as lateralization (one- sided-ness).

Question 18

critical period

Answer 18

A period when the human brain is ready to receive and learn a particular language is critical period. Genie grown up without hearing any sound was unable to use language when she was first brought into care. However, within a short time, she imitated sounds and to communicate. Her syntax remained very simple. Genie was using the right hemisphere of her brain for language functions.