[Date Prev] | [Thread Prev] | [Thread Next] | [Date Next] -- [Date Index] | [Thread Index] | [List Home]
Subject: Speech and Melody: How Different Parts of the Brain are Used Depending on the Language
This story is a fascinating tidbit relating the parts of the brain used to processspeech and the dependency on the artifacts of the particular language, in thiscase, Mandarin. One could ask some questions:1. How does such a language evolve given the greater resource requirementsfor processing the language?2. Do any unique capabilities emerge as a result of this extra use of bothhemispheres of the brain? For example, parallel capabilities such as easyof musical training?3. Do musicians, particularly singers, rate higher than the average westernerwhen learning Mandarin? Does learning Mandarin increase one's musical skills?4. While it is stated that English-speakers have greater difficulty learningMandarin, are there miscommunications that emerge more often whenan English speaker and a Mandarin speaker interact that could be attributedto this difference in the way the brain processes the language?5. Would any capabilities of HumanML help with these problems of communicationbeyond noting the fact of the melodic dependencies of the presentation of theMandain sign sets? Are some sign sets more or less melodically dependent?Fascinating stuff. Beyond us here, but the sorts of problems one might conceivablybring to HumanML. For example, representation of the vocal utterance given alibrary based on Rex's work is certainly possible.len
[Date Prev] | [Thread Prev] | [Thread Next] | [Date Next] -- [Date Index] | [Thread Index] | [List Home]