Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

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...

Language Development

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 Cognition

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.

Non-Verbal Cues

Non-Verbal Cues

Non-verbal communication extends beyond gestures and facial expressions to include vocal elements known as paralanguage. Paralanguage consists of non-verbal vocal cues such as pitch, loudness, speech rate, pauses, and non-verbal vocalizations like laughter, sighs, and moans. These elements not only accompany speech but also provide critical emotional and contextual information.The Role of Paralanguage in CommunicationParalanguage adds depth to spoken language by conveying emotions and...

Components of Language

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...

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious Mimicry

Nonconscious mimicry occurs when individuals alter their mannerisms to match the behaviors and expressions of those nearby, without intention.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Activities of daily living and their neural correlates across the Alzheimer's disease continuum: Evidence from a Latin American cohort.

Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association·2026

Same author

Global neural oscillations underlie performance variability and attentional state fluctuations in humans.

Scientific reports·2026

Same author

The emergence of the modern human Mind: Inner speech and its link to memory mechanisms.

Brain research·2026

Same author

Coupling between neural oscillations and white matter integrity reveals cognitive computational profiles following COVID-19.

Scientific reports·2025

Same author

White matter volume and microstructural integrity are associated with fatigue in relapsing multiple sclerosis.

Scientific reports·2025

Same author

From Multimodal Sensorimotor Integration to Semantic Networks: A Phylogenetic Perspective on Speech and Language Evolution.

Neurobiology of language (Cambridge, Mass.)·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

Examining Gesture Production in the Presence of Communication Challenges

Examining Gesture Production in the Presence of Communication Challenges

Published on: January 26, 2024

Gestures, vocalizations, and memory in language origins.

Francisco Aboitiz¹

¹Departamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina y Centro Interdisciplinario de Neurociencia, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile Santiago, Chile.

Frontiers in Evolutionary Neuroscience

|February 21, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Human language evolved from primate auditory-vocal and gesture systems. A key innovation involved recruiting the dorsal pathway for voluntary vocal control, enabling complex human communication.

Keywords:

arcuate fasciculus broca’s area inferior parietal lobe mirror neurons phonological loop superior longitudinal fasciculus working memory

More Related Videos

The (Spatial) Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

The (Spatial) Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

Published on: February 19, 2018

Memorization-Based Training and Testing Paradigm for Robust Vocal Identity Recognition in Expressive Speech Using Event-Related Potentials Analysis

Memorization-Based Training and Testing Paradigm for Robust Vocal Identity Recognition in Expressive Speech Using Event-Related Potentials Analysis

Published on: August 9, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 24, 2026

Examining Gesture Production in the Presence of Communication Challenges

Examining Gesture Production in the Presence of Communication Challenges

Published on: January 26, 2024

The (Spatial) Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

The (Spatial) Memory Game: Testing the Relationship Between Spatial Language, Object Knowledge, and Spatial Cognition

Published on: February 19, 2018

Memorization-Based Training and Testing Paradigm for Robust Vocal Identity Recognition in Expressive Speech Using Event-Related Potentials Analysis

Memorization-Based Training and Testing Paradigm for Robust Vocal Identity Recognition in Expressive Speech Using Event-Related Potentials Analysis

Published on: August 9, 2024

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Evolutionary Biology
Linguistics

Background:

The neural basis of human language capacity has roots in non-human primate brains.
Two theories on language evolution exist: one emphasizing gestures, the other auditory-vocal mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore homologies between human language networks and macaque auditory systems.
To reconcile differing views on the evolutionary origins of language.

Main Methods:

Comparative analysis of neural pathways in humans and macaques.
Examination of auditory-vocal and sensorimotor circuits.

Main Results:

Human language relies on ventral and dorsal auditory-vocal sensorimotor circuits.
The macaque homolog of the dorsal circuit is linked to hand/gesture control, not voluntary vocalization.
Human evolution saw the dorsal circuit recruited for vocal behavior, enabling complex vocal language.

Conclusions:

Vocal communication and gesturing share evolutionary origins in primates.
Recruitment of the dorsal pathway for vocal control was a pivotal evolutionary step for human language.