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_8 S V M9 r! N) F% R& p, Q7 q1 j说汉语者使用大脑更多部分
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/ b8 }6 u X1 t' _" b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。 6 x4 ~3 B; |0 R. Z0 D, |! B( L% }
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。 ; a! N( u0 [. m% O3 `7 i
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。
1 V$ L+ n. j3 h& E9 ^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。
% X# V, Z; ^, \8 q. @! F% l4 H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。
8 U" V( _$ u6 O; `1 v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。 : J$ r; E0 Q$ ~ Y* |0 c, G
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。 p( t2 [2 {. O8 p! u+ w
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Chinese 'takes more brainpower' 1 w6 _( D1 _! R9 s* s' ]
, A: I; P* }4 u- ]1 Z( v, ?) ESpeaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests.
`. n8 e% ^; I; ^Researchers in Britain have found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both sides of their brain to understand the language. }4 p, N; z$ Z+ ^) z& t" k
, p; u3 c9 D) m9 }# \. @% j2 q; w) D. bThis compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain. 8 ]2 p' l; t' J5 A O+ s1 A
4 J" c" ~- }9 c8 |* }& L h) {1 y$ hThe researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages.
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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. , Q$ B4 f/ R- p# @3 P- `: Q
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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. 4 i. s4 L- \1 ~9 i
+ ]* B/ V! j/ nThey found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English. ; v8 d+ e, [6 {# v
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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.
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! K) v6 w5 Y- ]/ o! CHowever, they found that both their left and right temporal lobes become active when they hear Mandarin. 9 T: |! G' L* R: i
* s/ g9 m% p- V5 ~: p"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott.
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/ x+ @2 @3 i' f"It overturned some long-held theories." $ J7 F* N1 k% L/ a7 I7 q7 m: h. P0 \
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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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O- d$ U6 w( v6 D: d1 C. WThe 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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"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. ; I7 V' D& h' j7 C
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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.
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"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin." 1 W8 L: J# a, ^+ ]
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Learning languages
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( t( k0 Q: d. @% z0 [( dDr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language.
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It could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke. % q" S8 ?& k! o/ \! T
6 M8 { u. |! P+ `' dShe suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills. , M& k7 V- h/ Z
. v1 M5 L. r8 B0 S"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." ; [( t' h( `# {& N* m7 p
# q# L8 \/ F- E1 [( N( t+ ZDr 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. , @, V) d( [0 j4 D
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"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language. 8 g9 }1 E. x) L# T
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"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said. % j3 Z W$ E2 M$ p9 y- @0 W
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"This field is really opening up but it is very early days." ; e# u& {4 J. ?5 e* _
7 ?1 x; }) H* jThe 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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3 b x& R0 Z. f* S" B h9 jStory from BBC NEWS:* [8 z4 o! h9 ^2 X
% U* M; f( z) c4 B2 P5 @[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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