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- [* q9 W" p0 ]/ g! g2 W2 O说汉语者使用大脑更多部分7 u. C( p: o3 G( l
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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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e; W! A9 y- x* X& B3 }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。 6 X+ ], {3 z) U, s
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。
, z7 I! Q7 P6 O# x- c0 S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。
) u( k* k6 t2 x& W/ \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。 # ^- U7 ]* I/ S5 P6 s6 G# P
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。
) z& u+ M6 r* `3 R# }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。
3 B* z! T$ J: a/ M# q# X( i& k( X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。
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Chinese 'takes more brainpower'
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5 O& x! J- P* b! t2 P( W! ASpeaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests.
0 H) W. M9 E+ i* `: T. `Researchers in Britain have found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both sides of their brain to understand the language.
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2 F8 k1 x# X+ i' cThis compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain. - C9 i8 }2 x- G; X) G& I4 `4 A
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The researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages. # b- L. f; z4 f& ]4 s
. y; @: O8 U# r- |! t- lThis, 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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5 o8 s* X0 l4 O4 VBrain scans
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Dr Sophie Scott and colleagues at the Wellcome Trust carried out brain scans on a group of Mandarin and English speakers. + d# Z2 o% S$ @0 T( g H0 X
% K) z& P- Z. F4 Q+ p! ], B( `1 HThey found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English. , }7 s8 F$ e! k( x
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* ?0 ~3 o1 F* U) z# n& C6 xThe researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words.
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3 I. |: @/ o: ?1 h/ N1 _They expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers.
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N4 {! l, X! @" JHowever, they found that both their left and right temporal lobes become active when they hear Mandarin. & y6 x) i0 m9 T/ i% q& ]9 X
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"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott. % v5 G; A# H2 _+ F% J
* M: m8 ?2 j/ W, q0 {$ [4 Y"It overturned some long-held theories." }9 k* B) e; c
- ^* Q1 n2 N' c( HMandarin is a notoriously difficult language to learn. Unlike English, speakers use intonation to distinguish between completely different meanings of particular words. ( S, V/ A, Y h6 I# d
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For instance, the word "ma" can mean mother, scold, horse or hemp depending on how it is said.
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0 h3 [" G$ P8 p; {The researchers believe that this need to interpret intonation is why Mandarin speakers need to use both sides of their brain. 7 @( {! m0 e' }. L8 f( G' t. G
9 G* i5 Q. l+ G) z' pThe right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones. ! M$ R" K2 Y9 P' O
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"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. m% L; f/ `' a! T
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"It seems that the structure of the language you learn as a child affects how the structure of your brain develops to decode speech. ' I2 `1 F. x: L3 F
: F4 L" h9 d& m! F"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin." ) r; J1 S# K) v8 j
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Learning languages
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9 [2 D2 x) @6 ~+ \1 ADr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language.
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, S, F! O$ T/ ?- j% M2 a+ `& tIt could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke. 0 u$ b6 A( E; s% p2 i; m
, ?, h$ { i7 h( n. jShe suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills. ; T$ |* M' Y+ _- w; z2 L7 w
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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." $ R1 ^4 k/ e0 p7 X# J7 Y5 d* U( y
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Dr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study. `( D' q& h1 b% _# G
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"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online.
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"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. 4 M: j3 l. F) C1 m' A2 f
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"This field is really opening up but it is very early days." 2 c. T0 p/ E. ]
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The findings will be included in the summer science exhibition at the Royal Society in London, which runs from 1 to 3 July. e$ K5 b' E1 z" F, ]
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Story from BBC NEWS:( i/ V. e' y2 H2 w
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[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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