1. Language and the Brain
Lynn W. Zimmerman, PhD

2. Neurolinguistics
Study of the biological and neural foundations of language

3. Human Brain Cortex Decision making area
Receives messages from all sensory organs
Initiates all voluntary actions
Memory storehouse
Grammar resides there

4. Brain hemispheres
Left cerebral hemisphere – controls right side of body
Right cerebral hemisphere - controls left side of body
Corpus callosum –serves as a bridge for info transfer between hemispheres

5. Aphasia
Aphasia – “any language disorder that results from brain damage caused by disease or trauma” (p. 38)
Lateralization – “any cognitive function that is localized primarily on one side of the brain” (p. 38)
Modular - It appears that language is organized in modules.

6. Broca’s Area Front part of left hemisphere Broca’s aphasia agrammatic
generally “affects the person’s ability to form sentences with the rules of syntax” (p.39).
Also have trouble understanding sentences whose meanings are heavily syntax based.

7. Wernicke’s Area Posterior of left hemisphere Wernicke’s aphasia
jargon aphasia
generally semantically incoherent
have problems naming objects and finding words

8. Brain Plasticity and Lateralization in Early Life
distinct evidence of left hemisphere dominance for language
evidence that the right hemisphere plays some role in early language development

9. Other Experimental Evidence
Ipisilateral stimuli – same side
show that the left hemisphere is lateralized for language but not necessarily for sound.
Event-related brain potentials - “electrical signals emitted from the brain in response to different stimuli (events” (p. 48)
demonstrate the left hemisphere’s connection to language, particularly grammar.
Japanese writing systems
Kana – based on sounds – tends to be processed in the left brain
Kanji - based on symbols - tends to be processed in the right brain

10. The Autonomy of Language
Specific language impairment (SLI)
children with no other cognitive dysfunctions may have specific language disorders
supports notion that grammar is localized and separate from other cognitive functions
Genetic basis of language
Evidence from various types of disorders “strongly supports the view that the grammatical aspect of the language faculty is an autonomous, genetically determined module of the brain.” (p. 52)

11. Language and Brain Development
Critical Period – Critical-age Hypothesis
Between birth to middle childhood, language acquisition results in native proficiency.
Hypothesis
there is “a biologically determined window of opportunity during which time the brain is prepared to develop language.” (p. 55)
Seems specifically related to grammar - after the critical period, there is “selective acquisition of certain components of language.” (p. 55)
Seems to be an external trigger to develop language ability
Supports the notion that communication and language are not the same.

12. The Evolution of Language
No real historical evidence of how language developed.
Divine origin of language – most religions have a belief in the divine origin of language
Monogenetic theory of language origin – the notion that “all languages originated from a single source.” (p. 59) 
Certain physiological changes including changes in brain structure which helped language develop
Incremental? Appeared all at once? Who knows?

13. References
Fromkin, V., Rodman, R., and Hyams, N. (2007). An introduction to language. 8th ed. Boston: Thomson Wadsworth.