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说汉语者使用大脑更多部分) f6 h( a! C1 v: N
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0 O. ?# c- C* i说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边 4 I% G1 ]% t8 f+ j* z+ v. f+ J
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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。 * W' P! I+ |) s6 X3 x% i; s7 N) P! d
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。
# {% y Y& @( Y# m' V) z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。 ; ?( v3 @! M( N( Z8 i r
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。 3 |/ q U/ T4 y1 C
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。 `7 ?5 H6 x9 c2 M
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。
8 x, d! |/ ?" j1 x# q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。: p3 O4 z4 r, r8 @; ]5 \1 d8 p3 P
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- Y: ]5 {0 R9 a3 {Chinese 'takes more brainpower'
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Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests. 8 f% n! T+ ?; C
Researchers in Britain have found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both sides of their brain to understand the language. 6 @ P/ C5 m$ z8 }- Q/ ^
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This compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain. 3 B: c0 S# U: A' Q x( F
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The researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages. % r6 D6 z5 U( V# A
9 H4 E! ^9 r4 }* BThis, 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. r6 u% r7 e; d
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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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- d7 t! i& X- ?& oThey found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English.
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' B G0 p$ X0 ~" c& h/ G& VThe researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words. + H6 |) b; ^& |7 I/ V
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They expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers. % G: g ?$ l' A* O; T" d4 W
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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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"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott.
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& I Y! d, J* e7 `% v; H"It overturned some long-held theories." $ P [& I3 U6 L1 i# D( _
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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. 0 l9 M% t) |" a: w6 S8 ~5 i
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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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"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. 6 Y4 Z0 r% Z. x$ y V, A
. E- c7 V6 W4 C/ Y1 o1 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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% Q% ~9 } h: C! r3 O* g' [/ S"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin."
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6 o% b& b$ f. |: o% OLearning languages
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Dr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language.
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/ d6 P5 l; D0 q6 n5 O8 ]It could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke.
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She suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills. ( B4 b8 m( Q6 T& |: G) k4 q) t
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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."
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4 |1 M$ D5 ^ `0 F+ r+ Y: e sDr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study.
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! O/ p" ?/ P9 x"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online. ' Z5 ^% E0 B2 R' T8 c
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"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language. 7 M/ r( J* o( ?3 U8 K! d
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"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said. y4 ?) ?; J6 M- S+ D# `# X% W- H
7 t6 W; h( L1 ~$ |$ d Y"This field is really opening up but it is very early days." . i/ R1 {" {3 k5 ?8 G
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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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Story from BBC NEWS:6 a8 S# b7 m+ O$ O! d3 M$ `
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[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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