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Related Concept Videos

Components of Language01:24

Components of Language

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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.
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Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

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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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Language Development01:22

Language Development

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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...
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Language01:16

Language

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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...
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Lateralization01:28

Lateralization

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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.
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Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language

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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...
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What's left in language? Beyond the classical model.

Michael C Corballis1

  • 1The School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|April 16, 2015
PubMed
Summary

Language evolution was not sudden but adapted from ancient primate circuits for grasping, gradually refining for manual skills and communication. This process, accelerated by bipedalism, led to increasing brain lateralization and the emergence of speech.

Keywords:
evolutiongesturelanguagelateralizationprimatesspeech

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • The traditional view posits language as a recent, abrupt human development.
  • This perspective contrasts with emerging evidence suggesting deeper evolutionary roots.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a revised evolutionary model for language and its lateralization.
  • To integrate findings from neuroscience, primatology, and evolutionary biology.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of neural circuitry in humans and nonhuman primates.
  • Reconstruction of evolutionary pathways for manual skills and communication.
  • Examination of the role of bipedalism and tool use in language development.

Main Results:

  • Language likely evolved from pre-existing primate circuits for intentional grasping.
  • Neural systems were gradually adapted for skilled manual operations (praxis) and communication.
  • Increasing processing demands led to neural lateralization, with left-hemisphere dominance.

Conclusions:

  • Language and its lateralization represent a gradual Darwinian adaptation, not a sudden event.
  • Bipedalism and tool use accelerated language complexity and lateralization in hominins.
  • Gestural communication may have preceded speech as the dominant form of generative language.