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4 R2 ?4 f/ w% `8 J说汉语者使用大脑更多部分
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( w. C* ]5 i, k* [2 C" x0 I说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边 ( W/ j- |5 V! q$ K. K0 t
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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。 5 B0 w' [& c6 A/ v k
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。 5 n5 Q" C& {5 Q7 J4 ]/ Q. O8 |8 |9 E2 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。 ) n. j) E( K1 I- a* C" u4 m- }
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。 ) G, h5 K. G$ y. q( ~
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。 ' Q+ F- y" d# o* {5 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。
" C& m8 I/ R. S$ e2 D* ^$ T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。/ U7 M E: O( @: Y6 B. T: M( u/ z
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3 O# G& o7 K0 h# r- o, y; I+ E' ?Chinese 'takes more brainpower'
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Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests.
# t9 J8 `, x. Q, LResearchers in Britain have found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both sides of their brain to understand the language. " _ ~: z9 r! B1 t4 W
+ z: g0 [/ e& l0 W# a! CThis compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain. * o' Q$ e, J2 \2 ^$ c2 @
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The 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. 9 i3 v. N+ y0 P
: F& D1 J$ g8 J+ S0 PBrain scans
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2 D$ p2 |5 Q! z3 @* n ?, d" qDr Sophie Scott and colleagues at the Wellcome Trust carried out brain scans on a group of Mandarin and English speakers.
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' X9 V! K; \: k% zThey found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English. 3 T0 ~% M7 C, q& {- U k
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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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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. & H& w7 C- w2 f: D' O) K0 u
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"It overturned some long-held theories." ! W2 U; J2 S" v R8 v8 Z
$ J! U: T2 D+ hMandarin is a notoriously difficult language to learn. Unlike English, speakers use intonation to distinguish between completely different meanings of particular words. / \' n1 J% \7 y* x
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For instance, the word "ma" can mean mother, scold, horse or hemp depending on how it is said. 0 G2 ^$ q, C. R; t6 f: a
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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. : y" {# m6 F3 T+ F1 E
/ u! G- Q3 f; H! |0 ~8 K% PThe right temporal lobe is normally associated with being able to process music or tones. ~# _- C1 n w, {
, K1 m6 e! O2 b' k# w"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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" {7 ]& ~ t% H$ @"It seems that the structure of the language you learn as a child affects how the structure of your brain develops to decode speech. , p: f s' e3 g6 ~9 m* m
9 w6 O) K7 j/ B8 v5 I0 }, [: P"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin."
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Learning languages 7 K% D8 w" v8 C. h
+ V* [5 h( Z9 YDr Scott said the findings could help scientists to understand how the brain learns language. ; b0 ~4 {: G8 T, \ o5 _' H
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It could be particularly useful in trying to understand how it re-learns language after a stroke. ! d6 q( s2 d h$ D
1 n L4 o: M9 IShe suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills. 7 o& X* b. P" Y( Z
5 o9 R1 h7 Y* N$ ~"There is evidence from other studies that certain drugs affect learning in the brain regions that support hearing and speech," she said. * e5 f3 ^* L" C; K. m! L( L. E
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"This is something we can improve on."
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Dr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study. 5 c5 C& r. a) }5 Z9 X7 f
2 y* y& g" ]1 Y4 h; W, |"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online.
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"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language. ; Z1 S0 v, Y" E3 c' [
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"It can also help us to understand language rehabilitation," he said.
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"This field is really opening up but it is very early days." : ?+ E- R* m4 b( @& ?' S! s
" J: Q& t# q/ f7 TThe 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:
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[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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