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]
