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Gray matter and adult language learning | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| reineke Senior Member United States https://learnalangua Joined 6448 days ago 851 posts - 1008 votes  Studies: German | Message 1 of 5 04 September 2007 at 5:11pm | IP Logged |
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“Our study links brain anatomy to the ability to learn a second language in adulthood,” said neuroscientist Patrick Wong, assistant professor of communication sciences and disorders at Northwestern and lead author of a study appearing online today (July 25) at , in Cerebral Cortex.
Based on the size of Heschl’s Gyrus (HG), a brain structure that typically accounts for no more than 0.2 percent of entire brain volume, the researchers found they could predict -- even before exposing study participants to an invented language -- which participants would be more successful in learning 18 words in the “pseudo” language... http://www.scienceblog.com/cms/learning-second-language-it-a ll-your-head-13793.html 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| apparition Octoglot Senior Member United States Joined 6651 days ago 600 posts - 667 votes Speaks: English*, Arabic (Written), French, Arabic (Iraqi), Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish Studies: Pashto | Message 2 of 5 04 September 2007 at 5:35pm | IP Logged |
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I'm glad to see some research on the subject.
I'm musically inclined and have seen a lot of anecdotal evidence suggesting it's a big help, especially with tonal languages, but also with basic rhythmic patterns to every language. It's disheartening, though, to see that there is a "tonal gap" based on biology, because it will probably be taken as an excuse not to try to learn a new language. Interesting stuff. Edited by apparition on 04 September 2007 at 5:36pm 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| Lemus Diglot Senior Member United States Joined 6382 days ago 232 posts - 266 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish Studies: Japanese, Russian, German | Message 3 of 5 04 September 2007 at 5:43pm | IP Logged |
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I didn't seem to me like it said that those without the HG couldn't learn a new language, just that they would have more problems with the tonals. Besides, they still got 63% right, which shows it is still definitly possible to learn a tonal language without it. I imagine with more practice they could definitly bring that up to the 97% the other group got.
Still, some people will use any excuse, especially scientific studies, to not study another language. 1 person has voted this message useful | |
| reineke Senior Member United States https://learnalangua Joined 6448 days ago 851 posts - 1008 votes Studies: German | Message 4 of 5 04 September 2007 at 6:05pm | IP Logged |
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Plenty of people with a minuscule left HG and "great" Chinese language skills but they also must have quite a backbone. Three tries vs 18 - it's quite a difference. It'll take longer but even with 63 percent accuracy you can build native-like language skills. The question is, if you have issues with tones, wouldn't you be better off studying another language? There is also the danger of people proclaiming themselves as tone deaf when in all likelihood they're not.
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| apparition Octoglot Senior Member United States Joined 6651 days ago 600 posts - 667 votes Speaks: English*, Arabic (Written), French, Arabic (Iraqi), Portuguese, German, Italian, Spanish Studies: Pashto | Message 5 of 5 04 September 2007 at 6:11pm | IP Logged |
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Yeah, I wouldn't call it an unsurmountable obstacle, this HG thing, only one aspect of a larger set of biological traits that can help or hurt your language learning. For instance, someone with less inborn tonal ability might have a better memory than someone who is very good with tones. For most of us, it's a trade-off, I think.
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