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3 X, D: ^/ X' Y说汉语者使用大脑更多部分- W3 I4 ~% T& \4 h. B# {
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说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边 , Q; A0 j& D7 w$ O" J# K3 l
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$ h/ M( E: `) M- W: \' Q! A' ~: z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。
+ v* R+ E! _' J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。 8 A8 b0 F$ n; L' s; f
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。 2 p' ]- `9 ~1 ~' h2 E5 J
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。 2 g; O/ ^# G% p. V: v% X( i
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。 5 A* n( U$ L9 D3 S# a, F
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。
' W/ T( l. R! q8 v$ s* e7 E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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: R3 x; T! n2 k# A" h' l, hChinese 'takes more brainpower' : ^/ Y1 I' B! G- ~- n: z) z1 S* C
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Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests.
1 k0 y4 Q( y$ K. |" C7 ^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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+ m' h6 i/ M, i3 aThis compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain.
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% l+ R" R8 D& B' n$ TThe researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages. # f y" h2 f" G% C! o
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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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. ]" B# O3 F0 A6 d0 v, ^Brain scans X3 a2 n0 J! k7 k) f* t% ~0 ^
0 A t1 T# W3 D( 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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5 ]" r! V6 S4 ?/ g5 L/ ~They found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English. 4 p/ d0 j3 @7 v3 F$ g9 h
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The researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words.
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They expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers. * P q% P6 S4 V. x4 h0 n, N
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However, they found that both their left and right temporal lobes become active when they hear Mandarin.
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) Z( m3 W- ], _"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott.
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"It overturned some long-held theories." 4 `; v- H* e' C9 ^
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Mandarin is a notoriously difficult language to learn. Unlike English, speakers use intonation to distinguish between completely different meanings of particular words. 9 ~1 H6 c0 l+ d* ]# C8 R% P
q( f- w' c9 ~- Z2 ^ x/ o$ KFor instance, the word "ma" can mean mother, scold, horse or hemp depending on how it is said. 9 o+ y( I- X' e* q/ ~. Z; X2 u( D! |( c
9 M2 x& p/ p: B' Y+ h5 GThe 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. ' \7 h* q: \( u% G5 e$ L0 d; O% a
+ N$ {3 F; \$ `1 s- X, z% O/ j& O"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.
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7 l+ b4 |- _$ I) j* u" d" T' ?"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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. p% c9 L. v& D! w* A"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin." 7 Z: N# P: r T+ I: M5 |
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Learning languages
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Dr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language. 7 f0 Z% |5 I) ~/ K
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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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# C" ^+ `! S7 ^9 `( ~She suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills. ' x8 b9 p& c$ e1 d8 q& b9 b
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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. 9 f- P) D; | @* y* c1 p. i
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"This is something we can improve on." 0 j. b/ t" S/ a6 ~4 L
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Dr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study. $ F+ _+ Y# f3 Q; j& U6 u
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"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online.
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1 q' F, h3 ~$ d1 H"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language. 7 N9 [& y' U" {
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"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said. ( ^' J4 w1 i( |4 }
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"This field is really opening up but it is very early days."
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$ R0 N2 K( O) L" O5 O* vThe findings will be included in the summer science exhibition at the Royal Society in London, which runs from 1 to 3 July. $ V2 x4 T7 X# \4 W* E# w9 h* ]% ?
3 N H3 `% g; @4 |Story from BBC NEWS:
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[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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