 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
ZT; S& p9 c/ R# {( a* p. h. \
说汉语者使用大脑更多部分0 L2 q8 K3 e( O' d
" b* Q# U% Q+ q$ L ?& t) ?4 I
6 N$ c& `- ? L$ ]: ?0 [
说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边
- t% x- `5 Y% D9 q
, M7 p7 q" k% K+ ?4 r/ u
4 {9 a0 L0 ?3 j3 L/ Q9 s( G x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。 4 G2 T' S: t! C+ b, m+ C
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。 ) M* X3 w2 N4 p3 O
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。 ; E4 c+ V; O5 X: S4 C
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。
$ r! D1 l$ E5 P2 g* M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。
) \2 f, _ S4 l$ O4 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。
" I( L% x- h% ^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。) R4 @& e, G3 O: _
8 ?2 z" T# w& B& p2 l+ Q2 q4 P6 g
Chinese 'takes more brainpower'
, z7 p0 n6 g+ `+ W: w" R5 ~: c1 d2 h# o
Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests. 0 S! l! [- h% j1 J
Researchers in Britain have found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both sides of their brain to understand the language. ! ?6 C5 `. J) S W
" F$ e5 E6 d0 F4 U3 Z1 H! |1 e
This compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain.
; h2 U$ A$ |$ W* b& p0 K1 k* M
5 u2 X5 H4 A7 E7 Y9 V+ W- E8 |: Q" Y2 BThe researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages.
8 Z7 @7 ~/ H2 E1 \% {
1 _$ y( h0 F1 k, ^5 I3 ~" K5 ?, TThis, 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.
; ^- w1 l7 }) v/ w" S* K* {6 D' r5 p& Q3 l1 Q# S- M, K
Brain scans
" X% o! ~% i) h, E8 H% n9 h) ~& P# J. a" j, O1 P
Dr Sophie Scott and colleagues at the Wellcome Trust carried out brain scans on a group of Mandarin and English speakers. 5 x6 E. g5 |" k, g( w- T/ O4 Z
9 Z) h' A1 w; V" Z' _9 W! OThey found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English. 9 F& x, s& Z8 g0 _
1 X2 A0 f4 I/ f0 [
* ~2 k! U- m4 F1 ^ K4 _$ gThe researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words. ) s$ [1 v9 U+ V9 r
7 ]% r% L- H; i1 CThey expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers.
/ E( d# A1 p0 |0 o
& `! U0 I% }' hHowever, they found that both their left and right temporal lobes become active when they hear Mandarin. 1 R; j: X6 K k( y
! P9 S- ^4 V: a3 G2 ?2 a% `' w- w"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott.
- V7 ]- C+ L. V# Y" `5 d7 n6 B' b; L# o
"It overturned some long-held theories."
& Z: M+ y: c7 p/ r2 v. E9 T/ V/ ]- g, P; l5 u7 ]
Mandarin is a notoriously difficult language to learn. Unlike English, speakers use intonation to distinguish between completely different meanings of particular words. " n$ }& M+ t( `
" m. }$ z3 Q ?$ X" P, \( k" G9 k
For instance, the word "ma" can mean mother, scold, horse or hemp depending on how it is said. 5 V- N5 {. q1 _1 M; V
" h0 a* i6 u P; ^
The researchers believe that this need to interpret intonation is why Mandarin speakers need to use both sides of their brain. " m% i f! \# B2 ~3 U4 j+ C
2 i8 C' L1 \ J8 t" e* d% r3 ZThe right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones. $ N5 X, `! d- a. C9 @
2 A7 N/ y3 l4 M' u1 F"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.
; D( L$ Q' s1 l u. H( l) l2 L" G+ \( F) Z
"It seems that the structure of the language you learn as a child affects how the structure of your brain develops to decode speech.
" A; ^6 R; q. ?$ w+ s
" x( u; L' I& ~3 ]7 L"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin."
) B* D; h" A, Q5 @
8 U- ~& d4 d, T1 W+ y8 c# W7 y" ~0 J( ELearning languages 6 o, p; F' P# o( y* s. t; ~
9 t) S6 R# Z* s$ P/ I3 V- LDr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language. ' Q+ l' f, Y: s; n! f' n- X% T
4 m$ y5 i k2 A+ M
It could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke.
: L5 B: C% _4 c+ A1 D0 Z* M0 B, a: _5 m6 }& j# P9 y
She suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills.
3 Z' {: ~" r( W, O0 L! ~' [$ `8 V, F8 y
"There is evidence from other studies that certain drugs affect learning in the brain regions that support hearing and speech," she said. / i" D$ c) ]. r: r: J" M
% v5 ^ p7 r2 d
"This is something we can improve on."
+ [, R; y5 N. x* H9 j0 j& S3 \- g8 k* S9 i
Dr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study. ) ^0 U& X+ W# L7 W
: q) N. ?' H, \- ]7 Q$ @% X9 ~# y& X
"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online. ) E# c$ D; P# E" a( E; [
! j6 U( [* Z4 p# q V; M"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language.
8 w, {4 }* G+ S4 H" V. E8 l# q
; T7 N% z) k( A. J+ E. a" W"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said. ; c: v% s) L v3 w
' p+ n! F2 @- J' j- ~, V1 H* u"This field is really opening up but it is very early days."
! {- h6 s5 Y4 ~( M- J1 H, t6 l% y( R1 a( R
The findings will be included in the summer science exhibition at the Royal Society in London, which runs from 1 to 3 July.
0 {: D- s( h! L/ ^9 @4 O" _" q
8 e+ X& s E6 U p5 GStory from BBC NEWS:( j2 r$ d& a; `+ Z0 _; D
8 J: H5 |. v: A7 I2 N8 @, s[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
|