Neurolinguistics Flashcards
Today we know that there is a high correlation between right-handedness and left-brain dominance. T or F.
True
Name the type of aphasia. Speech output is hesitant, labored, and lacks fluency.
Broca’s aphasia
Name the type of aphasia. Speech is fluent but has problems with comprehension.
Wernicke’s aphasia
Name the type of aphasia. Cannot repeat utterances.
Conduction aphasia.
“Hemispherical specialization” means
some abilities are processed in the right hemisphere of the brain, and others are processed in the left.
What is one of the functions of the primary auditory cortex of the brain?
To categorize different auditory stimuli and send them off to various parts of the brain to be interpreted.
A right ear advantage for linguistic sounds during a dichotic listening test would indicate
left hemisphere dominance for language.
The “split brain” tests conducted by Sperry proved that both hemispheres of the brain are able to process language equally.
T or F.
False.
What are the 9 design features of Language?
- mode of communication
- semanticity
- pragmatic function
- interchangeability
- cultural transmission
- arbitrariness
- discreteness
- displacement
- productivity
mode of communication
language is to transmit messages
semanticity
all signals in a communication system have a meaning or function
pragmatic function
language must serve some useful purpose
interchangeability
language has the ability to both transmit and receive messages
cultural transmission
genetic or hereditary background in and of itself has no influence whatsoever on the language we acquire as children; though some aspects are innate, some aspects can only be acquired through interaction
arbitrariness
in language, a word’s meaning is not predictable from its linguistic form, nor its form dictated by its meaning
in language, a word’s meaning is not predictable from its linguistic form, nor its form dictated by its meaning
discreteness
property of communication systems by which complex messages may be built up out of smaller parts
the property of some communication systems that allows them to be used to communicate about things, actions, ideas that are not present at the place or time where communication is taking place
displacement
the capacity of a communication system (unique to human language) for novel messages built out of discrete units to be produced and understood
productivity
What is the Critical Period Hypothesis?
Proposed that there is a biologically controlled ideal period for young children to adopt language skills, after which (thought to be at around puberty, alongside brain lateralization) full command of language could never be attained.
Describe evidence of a critical period in second lanuage learning.
Evidence is shaky, and seems to in general conclude that there is very little critical period but a gradual decline in ability to learn a second language as people age.
in L2 learning, what systems come easier with youth? Which don’t seem to change with age?
Phonology, Semantics
