Communication Skills May be Somewhat Genetic
Razi Berry From inside the womb and as soon as they enter the world, babies absorb information from their environment and the adults around them, quickly learning after birth how to start communicating through cries, sounds, giggles, and other kinds of baby talk. But are a child’s long-term language skills shaped by how their brain […]
Changes in Brain Activity While Studying a New Language
Razi Berry A study with first-time learners of Japanese has measured how brain activity changes after just a few months of studying a new language. The results show that acquiring a new language initially boosts brain activity, which then reduces as language skills improve. “In the first few months, you can quantitatively measure language-skill improvement […]
Importance of Learning ‘Slang’ When Studying a New Language
Razi Berry Experts say English slang and regional dialect should not be banned from classrooms but when you’re getting to grips with a second language how helpful is it to learn non-standard lingo? Very, says Sascha Stollhans, of the Department of Languages and Cultures at Lancaster University, who argues that standardized language norms are artificial […]
Human’s Brain Thought the Be ‘Pre-wired’ for Written Language
Razi Berry Humans are born with a part of the brain that is prewired to be receptive to seeing words and letters, setting the stage at birth for people to learn how to read, a new study suggests. Analyzing brain scans of newborns, researchers found that this part of the brain — called the “visual […]
You Really Are on the ‘Same Wavelength’ as Your Baby
Razi Berry New research suggests that you might quite literally be “on the same wavelength,” experiencing similar brain activity in the same brain regions. Have you ever played with a baby and felt a sense of connection, even though they couldn’t yet talk to you? A team of Princeton researchers has conducted the first study […]