EduCareer StaffBlog"Rinjin Blog" | "EduCareer"Supporting your career in English teaching in the Japanese school system

Localizing Language

2011/08/31

Scientists are closer to pinpointing the parts of the brain that control language. With language being such a large part of our life, and a constant in all human cultures, one would assume it would be relatively easy to determine which areas of the brain control linguistic ability. Until now, however, the anatomical differences in individual brains have prevented scientists from being able to tell if areas were solely functioning as language centers or combining with other tasks.

Scientists determined this by having subjects perform a language task and examining which areas showed activity. Then they had each one do a subset of seven other experiments: one on exact arithmetic, two on working memory, three on cognitive control and one on music. As these are the functions "most commonly argued to share neural machinery with language," it was important they be ruled out.

Out of the nine regions they analyzed, eight uniquely supported language, and were not activated during the task. This shows parts of our brain have developed for language, and only language. Maybe one day we can literally boost our brains and enhance language ability on the neural level.

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