In the U.S., bilingualism is common and 21% speak another language between family members
MRIs can now (as well as informing us of a heartbeat disorder or inform us if surgery is needed) inform us what is going on in the brain when we speak, hear and understand another language
The MRIs can also show which part of the brain is active when learning a language Ultrasound machines can also be used to discover new facts about language learning |
MRI Scanner
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Ultrasound Machine (Brain Imaging)
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The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is “the source of bilingual advantages in attention and control” (Perry)
The Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH) is an important part of the linguistic and brain study. The CPH states that:
- Children learn languages faster and more easily because of the flexibility of a kid’s brain that is still in development. This will allow them to use both hemisphere equally while learning the language.
- Adults however are lateralized in using only 1 hemisphere of their brain (usually the left)