Language Learning and the evolution of the human brain

General discussion about learning languages
Kraut
Black Belt - 2nd Dan
Posts: 2599
Joined: Mon Aug 07, 2017 10:37 pm
Languages: German (N)
French (C)
English (C)
Spanish (A2)
Lithuanian
x 3204

Language Learning and the evolution of the human brain

Postby Kraut » Mon Oct 18, 2021 1:39 am

Sprachenlernen und die Evolution des menschlichen Gehirns

https://scilogs.spektrum.de/die-sankore ... n-gehirns/

This declarative-procedural (DP) model of language learning predicts that since the lexicon and grammar of a language must be learned, the lexicon will rely heavily on declarative memory and the grammar will rely heavily on procedural memory. Furthermore, the DP model predicts that for a language learner, grammar learning will rely more heavily on declarative memory in the early learning phase and more heavily on procedural memory in the late learning phase because learning is faster with declarative memory than with procedural memory.

Semantic memory, a form of declarative memory, contains conscious factual knowledge. It stores our knowledge about the world and language and, in contrast to autobiographical (= episodic) memory, is not emotionally coloured and free of possible framework conditions, i.e. we do not remember the fact in connection with a place or a specific time. Semantic memory enables us to remember "automatically" that the capital of France is Paris. As a rule, however, you do not remember when, where or from whom you first heard this fact. Semantic memory serves as our mental lexicon. The temporal lobe and the hippocampus in the brain are important for this.


Translated with http://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)


Dieses deklarativ-prozedurale (DP)-Modell des Sprachenlernens sagt voraus, dass, da Lexikon und Grammatik einer Sprache erlernt werden müssen, das Lexikon stark vom deklarativen und die Grammatik stark vom prozeduralen Gedächtnis abhängig ist. Darüber hinaus sagt das DP-Modell voraus, dass sich bei einem Sprachenlerner das Grammatiklernen in der frühen Lernphase stärker auf das deklarative in der späten Lernphase stärker auf das prozedurale Gedächtnis stützen wird, weil das Lernen mit dem deklarativen Gedächtnis schneller erfolgt als mit dem prozeduralen Gedächtnis.

Das semantische Gedächtnis, eine Form des deklarativen Gedächtnisses, beinhaltet das bewusste Faktenwissen. Es speichert unser Wissen über die Welt und die Sprache und ist im Gegensatz zum autobiografischen Gedächtnis nicht emotional gefärbt und frei von eventuellen Rahmenbedingungen, d. h. wir erinnern die Gegebenheit nicht in Verbindung mit einem Ort oder einem bestimmten Zeitpunkt. Das semantische Gedächtnis ermöglicht uns “automatisch” zu erinnern, dass die Hauptstadt von Frankreich Paris ist. In der Regel erinnerst du dich aber nicht daran, wann, wo und von wem du diese Tatsache das erste Mal gehört hast. Das semantische Gedächtnis dient uns als mentales Lexikon. Dafür sind im Gehirn der Temporallappen und der Hippocampus wichtig.


-------------------------------------------------------------------
https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/115/7/1487.full.pdf

Child first language and adult second language are
both tied to general-purpose learning systems

Significance
It has long been debated whether the mechanisms that underlie
language are dedicated to this uniquely human capacity or

whether in fact they serve more general-purpose functions. Our

study provides strong evidence that language—indeed both
first and second language—is learned, in specific ways, by
general-purpose neurocognitive mechanisms that preexist

Homo sapiens. The results have broad implications. They eluci-
date both the ontogeny (development) and phylogeny (evolu-
tion) of language. Moreover, they suggest that our substantial
knowledge of the general-purpose mechanisms, from both an-

imal and human studies, may also apply to language. The study
may thus lead to a research program that can generate a wide
range of predictions about this critical domain


---------------

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/ne ... dic-memory

Episodic Memory

Episodic memory is defined as the ability to recall and mentally reexperience specific episodes from one's personal past and is contrasted with semantic memory that includes memory for generic, context-free knowledge.
Abstract

Episodic memory is a past-oriented memory system that allows reexperiencing previous events. Episodic memory is composed of a number of distinct but interacting component processes. Retrieval from episodic memory is subserved by a widely distributed network of brain regions, including temporal, parietal, and frontal cortices; diencephalon; and the cerebellum. This network overlaps partly with those subserving other systems, but specific interactions among regions uniquely define episodic retrieval. Episodic retrieval structures are not static but are affected by factors such as ways of probing episodic memory, practice, and individual differences in genetic makeup and experience.


2 x

User avatar
Iversen
Black Belt - 4th Dan
Posts: 4768
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2015 7:36 pm
Location: Denmark
Languages: Monolingual travels in Danish, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Romanian and (part time) Esperanto
Ahem, not yet: Norwegian, Afrikaans, Platt, Scots, Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Albanian, Greek, Latin, Irish, Indonesian and a few more...
Language Log: viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1027
x 14962

Re: Language Learning and the evolution of the human brain

Postby Iversen » Mon Oct 18, 2021 9:05 am

I have read the first article through, and it was quite interesting. Maybe in connection with the birds one piece of information should have been added: I have read that the neurons of birds are closer packed than those of mammals so they need a smaller brain to be as clever as a mammal with the same bodyweight (the notion of "encephalization quotient" predicts that heavier animals generally have larger brains (cfr. men versus women), and that a species generally is 'smarter' if it lies above the predicted line).

(quote from the translation above): Semantic memory, a form of declarative memory, contains conscious factual knowledge. It stores our knowledge about the world and language and, in contrast to autobiographical (= episodic) memory, is not emotionally coloured and free of possible framework conditions, i.e. we do not remember the fact in connection with a place or a specific time. Semantic memory enables us to remember "automatically" that the capital of France is Paris. As a rule, however, you do not remember when, where or from whom you first heard this fact.

Well, well.. The meanings of words can indeed be semantically loaded, and I can't see how you can separate the 'neutral' connotations of a word from the loaded ones - all the associations we have to a certain word contribute to its meaning, and if you cut out the loaded ones then the whole thing crumbles. It may still be possible to come up with a seemingly neutral definition (like "murder" is the deliberate killing of another person unless you had to (like in a war or in selfdefence)) - but a definition only delimits the meaning of a word, it doesn't replace it. And as far as I know, there is not a special 'dictionary' area in our brains where only factual knowledge is stored.

And contrary to the rule, I often do remember where I learned a certain word. In your mother tongue or the language of a place where you have lived (or still lives) you may indeed have forgotten where you learned the bulk of your words, and I may indeed have forgotten where I first learnt a certain word - like for instance the name "Paris". But I do remember where I first learnt the street names from Gare du Nord down to the Seine - in 1972 during my first Interrail trip. And I often remember that I have learnt a certain word by memorizing it from a wordlist. So basically I find the notion of "Semantic memory, a form of declarative memory" skewed, bordering on worthless - semantics can't be separated from episodic memory, nor from knowledge obtained from identifiable sources.
4 x


Return to “General Language Discussion”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], nathancrow77, tastyonions and 2 guests