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说汉语者使用大脑更多部分0 Z% q/ L# I) S, N" S/ ~/ d3 Y! P- b
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g# F: ~9 X2 V7 h$ ?4 b说汉语普通话者讲话时同时使用大脑两边 0 w& Z5 M" @8 f! Y' @9 t
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0 v2 s% i- \9 [1 u. ~6 p% r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# [( x2 D# S% X, V' r1 Q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。
, r8 H# U1 i4 G/ Y! {% `7 o9 l- N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。
) M6 v/ Y9 z8 B5 T/ ]# a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。 $ l7 m( O" t* }9 o' E
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。 ' P" f7 L( b% W# s- B2 N3 a1 }
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。 2 l3 E* s8 g% }6 @+ g" m: k
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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5 E) a8 Z: H. U( t& k' T8 ~# S# @ |Chinese 'takes more brainpower' / K+ [- |4 S6 i0 z/ k8 Q
3 L; [ o; L n1 Y( H1 u! |Speaking Chinese may take more brainpower than speaking English, a study suggests. 2 w* Y0 ]: q& g* t6 @ w4 { _
Researchers in Britain have found that people who speak Mandarin Chinese use both sides of their brain to understand the language.
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/ K! f/ {! x+ l2 J WThis compares to English-language speakers who only need to use one side of their brain. / g( x9 V5 G6 O
A7 I( n: n8 ^+ dThe researchers said the findings could boost understanding of how the brain processes languages. 9 l; E1 A) D7 |$ i1 W1 \
; M5 ]+ L: B+ V, L6 k( P( |2 y+ JThis, 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.
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8 |: p+ h1 q& R% @/ VBrain scans + s5 H( g1 @; n9 ?& B
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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. 3 w! F8 i1 d1 Q2 v
8 Q9 L5 W+ X8 RThey found that the left temporal lobe, which is located by the left temple, becomes active when English speakers hear English.
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7 W! n% M0 z% ~9 sThe researchers believe that this area of the brain links speech sounds together to form individual words. 5 d. K9 q! [* [: G( E
% k j1 A2 L6 t; L FThey expected similar findings when they carried out scans on Mandarin speakers. 4 }. o6 i* t* Z$ L+ r
$ [& w4 e" p1 U" Z3 IHowever, they found that both their left and right temporal lobes become active when they hear Mandarin. " T4 V2 y% d4 Z
: K. C% B" ^% O3 N' x! b6 |"People who speak different sorts of languages use their brains to decode speech in different ways," said Dr Scott. , A. G% L- y% n5 k; q1 k! z
% W2 i3 M, I- s# H- a2 u0 B/ S"It overturned some long-held theories."
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$ ?, |! D7 Z: _$ f, fMandarin is a notoriously difficult language to learn. Unlike English, speakers use intonation to distinguish between completely different meanings of particular words. ) X& T$ s( a$ X6 Z# h& |4 u6 ^
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For instance, the word "ma" can mean mother, scold, horse or hemp depending on how it is said.
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9 E- i; h5 H) p% v6 g% ~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. + z" H& v5 a) Y# P( Z* d+ U
i% R5 u; `+ W"It seems that the structure of the language you learn as a child affects how the structure of your brain develops to decode speech. 1 M0 N2 z4 S$ w, j/ C
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"Native English speakers, for example, find it extraordinarily difficult to learn Mandarin."
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% i. D& y( n3 ], Z! B, TLearning languages
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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.
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/ i8 k+ p* Q5 l5 X6 c0 L9 LShe suggested it could also lead to new drugs to help people who have lost their language skills. # }# k$ O. T5 V$ E# \
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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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) {4 X2 o9 r0 B- n& L0 A Y: a"This is something we can improve on." 8 V6 C9 D9 T* n; x; J; R
6 S1 K5 J6 P& [: RDr William Marslen-Wilson, of the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit at Cambridge University, welcomed the study. ! e) Z+ i: F1 h7 |, G
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"It is an interesting finding," he told BBC News Online. 7 i8 E, z( g) G" y) S/ ?( |1 @
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"Looking at languages that are very different from each other helps us to understand how the brain processes language. ; K- E% g6 ~1 w
4 s5 O+ n1 I2 W# W# I6 \"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."
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' J8 Z* W# k3 p1 G( rThe 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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$ `1 \6 @3 p& w2 y& p: V1 ? n9 eStory from BBC NEWS:
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, s( m/ n7 C+ m6 I- j) v[ Last edited by victorw on 2005-2-24 at 06:22 PM ] |
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