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说汉语者使用大脑更多部分
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) Q# o4 [" t; R0 S( F说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边
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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。 $ ?9 ]% X, G7 X' r
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。
; J; ~3 M7 x" H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。
# L6 N+ @: n2 e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。 , |7 T1 U! x4 Z/ Y( o6 J) j
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。 & m' r* p4 s+ ^! C7 a2 P" J# o
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。
, A- R M3 F1 y+ Y* b) d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。' y- |# q# I/ o1 f
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9 Y3 L1 w% v+ K u' eChinese 'takes more brainpower'
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Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests.
8 O7 x, B7 ?; c a) }Researchers in Britain have found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both sides of their brain to understand the language. 7 E: ^9 u8 B( g1 p/ u
- g) I/ q/ v* c( o$ FThis compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain. 2 |( c+ q5 H. ^) y
% e, r u m8 k* w# ~The researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages. % f5 ^" R9 P5 J
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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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Brain 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.
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2 z$ D" M) U% e9 g+ X6 ]! YThey found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English.
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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. : S$ [( z+ Y9 @' Q/ _! t+ D) @. A
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However, they found that both their left and right temporal lobes become active when they hear Mandarin. 1 ~, X6 B6 g2 H! [, ]4 d9 R
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"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott.
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1 O# S- \6 [, m1 ?2 z! e/ b) M"It overturned some long-held theories."
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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.
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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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The 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.
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2 o7 Y1 Q* ^& B4 i"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. , Z, S- ~1 P0 C
- P: W* A& g( S5 v"It seems that the structure of the language you learn as a child affects how the structure of your brain develops to decode speech. 5 } s4 v+ c: H! \; E
8 ?8 o) a: f8 B' z; Y! k( D"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin."
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Learning languages 0 R! |, k! z& N9 i4 t `, l& Q
& H1 G4 G2 `- E8 N0 }9 |Dr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language. $ s5 d2 }! ] N& ^8 i5 d4 I. }% e% ?( @
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It could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke. ; v9 C/ B' E1 U% Z
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She suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills. 2 e, g$ D$ r d% @' _8 Y& c
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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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: U" ~; @( u4 B( e# _2 v1 f- ?"This is something we can improve on."
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Dr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study.
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"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online. - x; Q/ d: j8 |) c* d2 Z
- @+ b7 B4 r, D; M2 g" V. ^# i8 J! w"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language. % l2 u) F/ [' [1 \9 f4 E# c
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"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said.
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"This field is really opening up but it is very early days."
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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.
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( \) P* g+ B$ H4 uStory from BBC NEWS:, g+ ]9 u- u1 Y0 ~8 W3 ]0 B
6 M. H% W- l I6 I6 m[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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