TESOL 668 2013 Vietnam

MA Vietnam TESOL 668 June 2013

Session 2
Reading 1: Crystal Ch. 45: Language and the Brain
Draw and label a diagram of the brain showing the main anatomical areas: the cerebrum
hemispheres, cerebellum, thalamus, and spinal cord.
Review chapter 45 and answer the questions:
1. What is the largest part of the brain?
2. How are the two brain hemispheres connected?
3. What human functions is the cerebral cortex responsible for?
4. Which hemisphere controls the movement of the left arm?
5. In left handed people, which hemisphere is dominant for language?
6. Can the right hemisphere manage non-verbal tasks?
7. Which hemisphere is involved with facial recognition?
8. What is the theory of localisation?
9. What are Brocas area and Wernikes area?
10. Which areas of the brain are known to be involved in linguistic processing?
Discussion
Are some learners more able to pronounce the sounds of a language better than others? Why?
To what extent might the physiology of the brain be implicated in how well an individual can produce the
sounds of a language?
Task
Complete the summary below using the words provided:
cerebral network

neuroimaging

phonetic

aptitude

motor

auditory-perceptual

predict

correlated

Hu et al, 2012 found that 1).. coding ability and empathy 2) . L2 pronunciation
3) .. in advanced learners (not phonological working memory). Functional 4) ..
revealed this to be 5) with hemodynamic responses of the 6)of
speech 7) .. control and 8) .areas of the brain.