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Related Concept Videos

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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Language and Cognition01:27

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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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Higher Mental Functions of the Brain: Language01:10

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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.
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Lateralization01:28

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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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The Nativist Approach01:21

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The nativist approach to infant cognitive development proposes that infants are born with inherent knowledge structures that allow them to interpret the world almost immediately. This perspective contrasts with earlier developmental theories, such as those proposed by Jean Piaget, which emphasized a more gradual acquisition of cognitive abilities through interaction with the environment. One key concept in this approach is object permanence — the understanding that objects continue to...
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Three Developmental Domains01:29

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Human development is typically examined across three main domains: physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional. These domains represent the significant areas of change and continuity throughout the lifespan, from infancy to late adulthood.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 15, 2026

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
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Early bilingualism, language attainment, and brain development.

Jonathan A Berken1, Vincent L Gracco2, Denise Klein1

  • 1Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, Montreal Neurological Institute, Montreal, Que., Canada H3A 2B4; Centre for Research on Brain, Language, and Music, McGill University, Montreal, Que., Canada H3G 2A8.

Neuropsychologia
|September 6, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Learning a second language from birth versus later in life impacts brain plasticity differently. Simultaneous bilinguals show distinct neural pathways compared to sequential bilinguals, highlighting age-related differences in language acquisition.

Keywords:
BilingualismBrain developmentBrain functionBrain structureLanguage attainmentMagnetic resonance imagingNeural connectivity

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Cognitive Science
  • Linguistics

Background:

  • The brain exhibits lifelong neuroplasticity, but skill acquisition is often age-dependent.
  • Bilingualism offers a unique model to study age of acquisition effects on brain development.
  • Optimal periods for language learning, particularly phonology, are influenced by the age of acquisition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the relationship between age of acquisition and neuroplasticity in bilingualism.
  • To examine differences in brain structure and function between simultaneous and sequential bilinguals.
  • To explore compensatory mechanisms in later-life bilingualism.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing neuroimaging studies (PET, fMRI, structural MRI).
  • Analysis of data from simultaneous and sequential bilingual individuals.
  • Examination of studies on optimal language development periods.

Main Results:

  • Simultaneous and sequential bilingualism are associated with distinct patterns of brain structure and function.
  • Later language acquisition may involve compensatory neural mechanisms.
  • Evidence suggests nested optimal periods within language development.

Conclusions:

  • The age of bilingual language acquisition significantly influences neural pathways and brain organization.
  • Understanding bilingualism provides insights into general principles of age of acquisition and skill performance.
  • Neuroimaging reveals diverse neural strategies for achieving language proficiency based on learning onset.