Detailed review

1. What is a hemisphere, and what is modularity/localization? 2. Who are Paul Broca and Carl Wernicke, and what did they find out? 3. What is Aphasia? 4. What is the relationship between brain development and language development?

 The surface area is called cortex.  The brain has a left and right hemisphere.  Hemispheres are connected through Corpus callosum.

 Modularity is the theory of localized brain functions ◦ Phrenology

 Broca: French anatomist/surgeon ◦ Research with patients with language deficits ◦ Autopsy showed one area in left hemisphere  Wernicke: German physician ◦ Similar research ◦ Identified additional area (Wernicke’s Area) Conclusion: Left brain hemisphere is responsible for Language

 Neurological term for disorders that follow brain lesions caused by, for example, strokes. ◦ Only on left side  Broca’s Aphasia ◦ labored speech, word-finding pauses, disturbed word order, difficulties with function word ‘to’, ‘if’  Wernicke’s Aphasia ◦ fluently with good intonation & pronunciation but lexical errors: “Jargon aphasia”

Cortex Corpus callosum

 Language learning and brain development go hand in hand. ◦ Absence of language slows left hemisphere development ◦ Damage of left hemisphere slows/impairs language development  Children need to be exposed to language early.

 Famous linguist from 20 th century  First language is acquired, not learned ◦ Children are never taught grammar rules  Humans have a LAD  Universal Grammar  LAD is in the left hemisphere? ◦ Chomsky denies it

 Children can only acquire native-like language skills from birth until puberty ◦ LAD doesn’t seem to work longer than that ◦ Linked to rain development ◦ Ducklings

 Abused child ◦ Grew up in isolation and abuse  Deteriorated language skills ◦ Lack of language exposure  Underdeveloped brain ◦ Aphasic-like symptoms ◦ Slow and limited language development  Confirms critical age hypothesis  Slow and limited language development  Confirms (in part)Chomsky’s theory of LAD