 鲜花( 0)  鸡蛋( 0)
|
ZT0 Y+ W/ V: L# z1 A+ D1 Y; R u- P
说汉语者使用大脑更多部分+ D2 \' t% F. q6 q4 D# t
- E0 y H) Y. t% X
: B5 d6 Z9 @3 t0 R+ ^4 Q8 v说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边 ; t0 A+ A* P# Z, H+ R% H
8 h/ ?8 z4 t: Z5 }$ l% d9 A) S H" L) W1 A+ J' t: k% 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。
6 k# Y+ ?. n9 {1 x2 J& 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。
& G4 G4 I/ V3 `8 Q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。
6 C) x$ |, g5 V" r1 I, t7 P/ I* 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。
! e: G0 |3 l, v* D( S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。 + b2 q& K4 P" K/ R
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。
& v# P' N1 \9 z8 L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。: C. }0 p8 `4 f4 o: K6 _
8 {: j+ S2 u5 _. R& O
& L% e" {, N, R. ]* n! X
Chinese 'takes more brainpower' * ~: p+ ~' H# l/ `/ ]6 S1 V
! h. J: Y8 Q1 D! M* s7 r
Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests. ' D/ b/ ~3 a0 G% |( E, V
Researchers in Britain have found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both sides of their brain to understand the language.
" M0 z* v f$ ]) O5 ]; o3 s
" j' Z3 U. e, T k- r7 ]7 i1 B4 oThis compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain.
, y& Y' J2 _/ R, N4 T6 b; b' J' x$ G- R/ I( u1 C
The researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages. . a2 w3 ?9 P4 T
4 J- T5 a6 |) H) J+ b+ [
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.
2 P6 P. G. u" ~9 P
- R% I+ O: ]/ B9 C( \2 EBrain scans
: R B# r1 R. T, L# c$ \, E1 X- k9 `; a# b: ^- s" v
Dr Sophie Scott and colleagues at the Wellcome Trust carried out brain scans on a group of Mandarin and English speakers. * E6 x( K3 D' l9 p( B1 N
4 l0 D, w0 k7 y7 {9 T' ^8 YThey found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English.
/ m- X6 y& p0 }' G9 q: L [9 O1 h" R) T% T
& J0 N. H- @$ \% }, f3 f8 J- s5 }, w
The researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words. 7 z* f: ?7 Y3 p8 {7 c
( @) a* c* d' V) r3 u# S2 ]+ OThey expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers.
: L9 c8 w( e7 o0 g6 D4 `3 T+ ?" V* N8 m3 I% u9 v/ J, Z0 N9 V
However, they found that both their left and right temporal lobes become active when they hear Mandarin. . h" C8 _3 Z1 ]. c/ x# d
3 g7 m: Q. Q$ K8 [' a( I2 i
"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott.
5 N4 R4 h0 G7 p! E' U& g+ t
( F# H, g. p" B2 g"It overturned some long-held theories." 7 V: d1 ~6 ]6 I* M, J2 ^
V2 X2 Z3 [, V4 T
Mandarin is a notoriously difficult language to learn. Unlike English, speakers use intonation to distinguish between completely different meanings of particular words. $ c x8 p: q$ b) [
0 k0 K7 p8 Y. `0 K# ^For instance, the word "ma" can mean mother, scold, horse or hemp depending on how it is said.
/ V1 M& ]# S+ |& t) X" I$ Z h' @( j# x% g' H8 {( K" A+ W* f. M
The researchers believe that this need to interpret intonation is why Mandarin speakers need to use both sides of their brain. & }! \& E) i; Q* D
9 l: M5 u3 u% Y- o! P* bThe right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones.
) H9 Y% y5 Y- [7 o. B A! N1 Z; N5 [- D; l$ P6 E, 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. # R* f8 \/ [" m% d# ~
+ c9 i7 N: q+ i) U
"It seems that the structure of the language you learn as a child affects how the structure of your brain develops to decode speech.
/ \4 Y# @ |$ a$ O- n5 {2 B$ u' C$ T3 Z8 E. l: a2 O6 z* z+ ]( Q
"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin."
( O/ ^: [2 O' Z& A+ A# R. m* B
( \ F+ ~7 i+ n; FLearning languages + O' d! d; _" F: w0 o) X0 v% A7 L
; ?" u# j, y* D* a1 o( h6 E
Dr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language. 3 D+ ], Q# e3 Y! `( e3 t
0 x$ w O9 R2 R; S3 F
It could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke.
7 b$ o' S& W- M" t
0 U( I5 Y: \- l/ {; N+ h/ V7 DShe suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills.
7 _/ z4 R% O: M: B- u0 {
% ~" P L: r/ G6 l8 a$ p1 X* a/ K"There is evidence from other studies that certain drugs affect learning in the brain regions that support hearing and speech," she said. 5 d1 U! c4 L9 p! U2 w
: m6 h% R7 K/ g+ G; p& T5 V3 j"This is something we can improve on."
1 ^3 L6 ~% p$ R6 p! d# ~# h: z
6 f0 C/ t4 C& Z8 DDr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study.
1 h6 ^# J( ~* J0 e) P5 P
0 Y+ @/ b$ g' ~& v4 P"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online. , q% f F* h* P7 B- g% u! N1 {
0 j o# x9 q: ~0 P! P4 j
"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language. " A& k9 u- e: V w5 }) X
) s" _, V/ f8 C \9 v"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said. 5 m$ X# x2 Y. D4 g2 b% a. {: e: Z
7 H4 y; Q3 o% @% D
"This field is really opening up but it is very early days."
( _- p3 D* j; a( _9 {9 p
T7 @; ]! {% ^5 n9 \# ~The findings will be included in the summer science exhibition at the Royal Society in London, which runs from 1 to 3 July.
( s v6 |3 M; }2 a1 E2 O$ w/ X) h- I" x) B8 x
Story from BBC NEWS:
# ~8 E7 L, x2 v% z& ], r
& @4 G& u$ W9 q2 U# o @[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
|