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说汉语者使用大脑更多部分
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9 c, a3 U4 q, P; X, D说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边 ! t8 q# }/ q& t. a3 W! O$ Y- T
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+ a$ J0 Z" X5 h- q1 Z3 f$ H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。 5 ]5 {! S$ s3 m% @! N/ 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。 2 a2 S) u% s9 t4 d3 v
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。
$ x. {, e, Z2 v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。
; e1 X8 p" M9 M5 w0 K$ ^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。 4 w( _6 A' O5 G* I% o* i' C. j
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。
+ _ u" w, G. x& `$ a9 \% D; }, C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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% G9 X$ y1 L& B4 q; Z/ U0 m, sChinese 'takes more brainpower' 6 H$ t1 l5 X# n0 [
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Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests.
% Z; ]: G7 `1 k \" uResearchers in Britain have found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both sides of their brain to understand the language. / h; k0 t7 O' Z7 q S0 e9 E
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This compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain. " Y6 _& s; C) A5 `, [! S, w0 R) ~# V7 a
" N/ ~, D, C- LThe researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages. 2 |0 G1 o0 ]$ _1 O* E. j, g! K. ~
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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. - v* t9 p1 X: T G% I; c
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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. ( U2 t; y2 G: K! ^! _) L8 g1 K
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They found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English.
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9 W# X9 m, y( N" ]The researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words. 0 W# W$ t5 Q6 f. W- P, P1 S& L7 Q& j
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They expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers. : Q1 C5 l! B/ E4 x2 s$ L0 t
& i) \' ~( W8 `; G( e! X |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. % {5 W5 f# P# m6 |$ H
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"It overturned some long-held theories." . U. D4 a+ W: u$ r6 L4 @
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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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$ |2 s2 _- N4 E9 Y" n; `% p' Y/ RFor instance, the word "ma" can mean mother, scold, horse or hemp depending on how it is said. - y+ q* j* H8 K' Z5 \
{* m+ Y: c% f( O5 ^+ b, XThe researchers believe that this need to interpret intonation is why Mandarin speakers need to use both sides of their brain.
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& h. o" s" A& ~$ }! pThe right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones. 7 z* `4 I" [5 [+ u6 S4 V) `
! A8 | ?( @- p& U"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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"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 W& @( D0 K8 s
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"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin." $ F! {# z# V8 ^3 I
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Learning languages # X' [/ q* A5 w& p5 E( z
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Dr 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. L7 ^% @* \. U: B% O
8 a. Y2 R7 X# nShe suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills. ; z* k& m% \# P+ V4 B( v
f- Y% w: K0 M"There is evidence from other studies that certain drugs affect learning in the brain regions that support hearing and speech," she said. : A7 D* ^ w/ G) B; B
# P2 d& X2 L) {, S5 y4 R! A0 R"This is something we can improve on." 8 u9 _! D! @; E Y
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Dr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study. * O+ Z' Z' A1 b+ Z9 P% h5 U
# M; L+ w8 S1 e"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online. ! }: ]! g$ i! q
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"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language.
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4 x) y0 W2 d5 W+ I* W"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said.
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S2 ^& p1 `* I; k"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. " x" Y% u5 S+ N' o% \
5 X8 \ P& i9 qStory from BBC NEWS:3 Q; o a4 C8 R9 {. W
# O& |, q7 o6 k[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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