Charles, Wasn't offended. <smile> You just reminded me of several
articles written on learning a second language, and thought that it
was interesting.    Linda Forrest's Mom

Charles T. Meyer wrote:
>
> Linda,
>
> You may well be right and in any case because someone has passed the
> critical period it doesn't mean that they cannot learn something,  they
> just may need to learn it in a different way.  I disagree with the
> article that was published.  That does not mean that I take the position
> that it is not possible to learn once the critical period is passed. A
> lot of adults learn new languages.
>
> Charlie
>
> Linda Carlton wrote:
> >
> > Charles,
> >  There may be a specific reason for the difficulty of acquiring a second
> > language in someone who already has established a native language, as
> > opposed to recovery of a nonexistent ability to speak. Noted in the
> > article below. At least, I am hoping so. I have seen my son go through
> > the early stages of speech, several times, only to completely regress,
> > due to some aspect of the autism.      Linda Forrest's Mom
> >
> > Title
> >      Brain processing of native and foreign languages.
> > Author
> >      Perani D; Dehaene S; Grassi F; Cohen L; Cappa SF; Dupoux E; Fazio
> > F; Mehler J
> > Address
> >      INB-CNR, Universities of Milan, Italy.
> > Source
> >      Neuroreport, 7(15-17):2439-44 1996 Nov 4
> > Abstract
> >      We used positron emission tomography to study brain activity in
> > adults while they were listening to stories in their native
> >      language, in a second language acquired after the age of seven, and
> > in a third unknown language. Several areas, similar
> >      to those previously observed in monolinguals, were activated by the
> > native but not by the second language. Both the
> >      second and the unknown language yielded distinct left-hemispheric
> > activations in areas specialized for phonological
> >      processing, which were not engaged by a backward speech control
> > task. These results indicate that some brain areas
> >      are shaped by early exposure to the maternal language, and are not
> > necessarily activated by the processing of a second
> >      language to which they have been exposed for a limited time later
> > in life.
> > Language
> >      Eng
> > Unique Identifier
> >      97135862
> >
> > MESH Headings
> >      Adult; Brain (*PH); Human; Language (*); Male; Multilingualism;
> > Neural Pathways (*PH); Support, Non-U.S. Gov't;
> >      Tomography, Emission-Computed
> >
> > Publication Type
> >      JOURNAL ARTICLE
> > ISSN
> >      0959-4965
> > Country of Publication
> >      ENGLAND
> >
> > Charles T. Meyer wrote:
> > >
> > > Janet and Linda and LIST,
> > >
> > > I think this researcher is stating an opinion-  his compilation of the
> > > data which is very much at odds with most other neuroscientists.  He may
> > > be right but intuitively I disagree.  If one looks at how children learn
> > > foreign languages,  Before about 8-9 years old most children can if
> > > immersed in a new language can pick it up rapidly and eventually speak
> > > it without an accent.  After about 8-9 they still can learn the language
> > > but maintain a trace of the accent of the mother tongue.  By the time a
> > > child reaches their mid teens they usually have a substantial accent.  I
> > > think there is a lot of evidence in many areas of development of this
> > > phenomenon.
> > >
> > > This does not mean that it is worthless to teach someone after the
> > > critical period is over, it is just more difficult.  How many people do
> > > each of us know who came to this country as adults and speak with an
> > > accent.  They communicate well and it was worth them learning English
> > > but it was more difficult for them and the "finished product"  is
> > > lacking something in spite of it being perfectly acceptable.  Also note
> > > that there are exceptions-  adults that learn a new language flawlessly.
> > >
> > > As was noted in the article the human brain is quite "plastic ".  But I
> > > think it follows a timetable which can vary from individual to
> > > individual.
> > > Linda Carlton wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Thanks Janet! Hope that you don't mind, but I sent this to some
> > > >   parents that needed to read this today. I know that I needed to
> > > >   read it.<smile> Linda Forrest's Mom
> > > >
> > > > janet paterson wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > > Children Do Not Have Learning "Window"
> > > > > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > >
> > > > > NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Some brain research may mislead parents into thinking
> > > > > they have only a narrow window of opportunity to stimulate an appreciation
> > > > > of language, math or music in their child, according to a Missouri researcher.
> > > > >
> > > > > However, the evidence to support these contentions are weak at best,
> > > > > according to Dr. John Bruer, president of the McDonnell Foundation, a St.
> > > > > Louis-based program that awards grants for biomedical and educational
> > > > > research.
> > > > >
> > > > > "The claim that children are capable of learning more at a very early age,
> > > > > when they have excess synapses and peak brain activity is one of the most
> > > > > common ones made in neuroscience and education literature," reported Bruer
> > > > > in a paper scheduled to be published in the journal Educational Researcher.
> > > > >
> > > > > "Other articles urge that children begin the study of languages, advanced
> > > > > mathematics, logic and music as early as possible, possibly as early as age
> > > > > 3 or 4," he wrote.
> > > > >
> > > > > So why the rush? Well studies -- mainly conducted in monkeys -- show that
> > > > > at birth, infants have fewer synapses -- connections between neurons -- per
> > > > > unit of brain tissue than adults.
> > > > >
> > > > > However, the infant brain soon begins to form large numbers of such
> > > > > synapses, which connect brain cells into circuits, in a process known as
> > > > > synaptogenesis.
> > > > >
> > > > > At this point, there is an elimination process, where synapses are "pruned"
> > > > > over a number of years and the number of synapses falls to the adult level,
> > > > > usually around the age of sexual maturity for most species, Bruer notes.
> > > > >
> > > > > This finding has led some to claim there is a "critical period" of learning
> > > > > from birth to age 3.
> > > > >
> > > > > However, this theory assumes that the human brain develops in much the same
> > > > > ways as the brain of rhesus monkeys, according to Bruer.
> > > > >
> > > > > "Unlike the monkey, where synaptogenesis appears to occur simultaneously
> > > > > across all regions of the brain, the limited human data suggest that
> > > > > changes in synaptic density in our species may vary among brain areas," he
> > > > > wrote.
> > > > >
> > > > > Instead, research suggests that the human mind is more "plastic" than
> > > > > previously thought, able to adapt and change throughout a life-span.
> > > > >
> > > > > "Stories stressing that children's experiences during their early years of
> > > > > life will ultimately determine their scholastic ability, their future
> > > > > career paths, and their ability to form loving relationships have little
> > > > > basis in neuroscience," Bruer wrote.
> > > > >
> > > > > 1997, Reuters Health eLine
> > > > > <http://www.medscape.com/reuters/mon/t110710f.html>
> > > > > -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > > >
> > > > > janet [log in to unmask]
> > >
> > > --
> > >
> > > CHARLES T. MEYER, M.D.
> > > Middleton, WI
> > > [log in to unmask]
>
> --
>
> CHARLES T. MEYER, M.D.
> Middleton, WI
> [log in to unmask]