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Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

Language is a system of communication that allows the expression of thoughts, ideas, and feelings. The brain processes language in both hemispheres.
Language formation and comprehension take place in the dominant hemisphere. The dominant hemisphere is responsible for understanding the meaning of spoken, written, or sign language, as well as the ability to communicate. For most people, the left hemisphere is the dominant one. The right hemisphere, then, gives tone and emotional context to the...
Lateralization01:28

Lateralization

Brain lateralization refers to the division of mental processes and functions between the two hemispheres of the brain, a phenomenon that optimizes neural efficiency and underpins complex abilities in humans. This specialization allows each hemisphere to perform tasks where it has a comparative advantage, facilitating more refined cognitive capabilities across different domains.
Language01:16

Language

Language is a unique communication system that uses words and systematic rules to organize and transmit information. Unlike other forms of communication, which may involve postures, movements, odors, or vocalizations, language relies on symbols and grammar. This makes human communication distinct from that of other species, who also communicate but do not use language in the same way humans do.
Corballis and Suddendorf (2007) and Tomasello and Rakoczy (2003) highlight the role of language in...
Components of Language01:24

Components of Language

Language, whether spoken, signed, or written, consists of specific components: lexicon and grammar. The lexicon is the vocabulary of a language, comprising its words. Grammar is the set of rules used to convey meaning through the lexicon. For example, English grammar adds “-ed” to most verbs to indicate past tense. Words are formed by combining phonemes, which are the basic sound units of a language. Different languages have different sets of phonemes (e.g., “ah” vs. “eh”). Phonemes combine to...
Language Development01:22

Language Development

Children master language quickly and with relative ease, supported by both biological predisposition and reinforcement. B. F. Skinner (1957) proposed that language is learned through reinforcement, while Noam Chomsky (1965) argued that language acquisition mechanisms are biologically determined.
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Using the Visual World Paradigm to Study Sentence Comprehension in Mandarin-Speaking Children with Autism
06:15

Using the Visual World Paradigm to Study Sentence Comprehension in Mandarin-Speaking Children with Autism

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Competing language structures: the acquisition of verb placement by bilingual German-English children.

S Döpke1

  • 1Department of Linguistics, Monash University, Clayton VIC, Australia. susanne.dopke@arts.monash.edu.au

Journal of Child Language
|March 30, 1999
PubMed
Summary

Bilingual children incrementally acquire two languages by focusing on structural differences and similarities. This process involves initial separation, followed by learning which language structures overlap and which are unique.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental psycholinguistics
  • Child language acquisition
  • Bilingualism research

Background:

  • Simultaneous bilingualism in early childhood challenges existing language acquisition theories.
  • Bilingual children's input may lead to distinct output systems compared to monolinguals.
  • Understanding bilingual language development is crucial for theoretical advancements.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the developmental trajectory of grammatical structures in bilingual children.
  • To analyze how bilingual children manage overlapping and distinct linguistic structures.
  • To test theories of incremental language acquisition based on cue strength and cost.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study tracking the speech of three German-English bilingual children.
  • Monthly recordings collected between the ages of 2;0 and 5;0.
  • Analysis focused on word order within the verb phrase.

Main Results:

  • Children initially separated German and English structures.
  • An extended period of non-target German structures preceded eventual mastery.
  • Bilingual data suggest incremental acquisition driven by cue strength and cost.

Conclusions:

  • Partially overlapping linguistic structures create saliencies for bilingual children.
  • Functional identification of these structures precedes complete structural separation.
  • Bilingual acquisition supports a model of incremental learning and structural differentiation.