http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/language_acquisition/ Read about language acquisition in humans and animals. You will find research articles on everything from birds that learn grammar to the invention of new devices to aid human speech. en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/mind_brain/language_acquisition/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173412.htm Researchers have shown that the brain regions that have long been recognized as a center in which spoken or written words are decoded are also important in interpreting wordless gestures. The findings suggest that these brain regions may play a much broader role in the interpretation of symbols than researchers have thought and, for this reason, could be the evolutionary starting point from which language originated. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202847.htm You can improve your second-language listening ability by watching the movie with subtitles -- as long as these subtitles are in the same language as the film. Subtitles in one's native language, the default in some European countries, may actually be counter-productive to learning to understand foreign speech, according to a new study. Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110202847.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121213.htm What do you get when you cross a mouse with poor hearing and a mouse with even worse hearing? Ironically, a new strain of mice with "golden ears" -- mice that have outstanding hearing as they age. The new mouse hears much like people with "golden ears" -- people who are able to retain great hearing even as they grow older. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090903.htm Last year, the United States provided asylum and resettlement assistance for nearly 80,700 people from other countries, an increase from 71,300 individuals in 2007, according to the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants. Health experts say the increase has made issues of immigrant and refugee violence and the need for effective intervention strategies more apparent. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110090903.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065911.htm Combination therapies to tackle multiple changes in the brain may be needed to combat the growing problem of dementia in aging societies, according to a new study. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091110065911.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121334.htm Teachers and parents must be vigilant in observing difficulties with language comprehension, reading and spelling in children and young people with autism, Asperger's syndrome and ADHD. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109121334.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105092607.htm From their very first days, newborns' cries already bear the mark of the language their parents speak, reveals a new study. The findings suggest that infants begin picking up elements of what will be their first language in the womb, and certainly long before their first babble or coo. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105092607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104181155.htm Childhood obesity in the United States is reaching epidemic proportions. With more than one fourth of advertising on daytime and prime time television devoted to foods and beverages and continuing questions about the role television plays in obesity, a new study examines how food advertising aimed at children might be a large contributor to the problem. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104181155.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104091724.htm Literary Arabic is expressed in the brain of an Arabic speaker as a second language and not as a mother tongue, according to a new study. The research offers an explanation for the objective and day-to-day difficulties that confront Arabic-speaking students when attempting to learn to read the non-spoken language. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104091724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171207.htm New research shows that frontotemporal dementia -- a rare brain disorder that causes early dementia -- is highly hereditary. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171207.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172441.htm Learning to talk also changes the way speech sounds are heard, according to a new study. The findings could have a major impact on improving speech disorders. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172441.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085834.htm More than 50 international experts in endangered languages are convening to take the first step in cataloging endangered and dying languages in a comprehensive online database. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102085834.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152814.htm Try to pronounce the words "caught" and "cot." If you're a New Yorker by birth, the two words will sound as different as their spellings. But if you grew up in California, you probably pronounce them identically Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026152814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162919.htm Infants as young as five months old are able to correctly identify humans as the source of speech and monkeys as the source of monkey calls, psychology researchers have found. Their finding provides the first evidence that human infants are able to correctly match different kinds of vocalizations to different species. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019162919.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020111412.htm Music serves as a natural and non-invasive intervention for patients with severe neurological disorders to promote long-term memory, social interaction and communication. However, there is currently no plausible explanation of its neural basis for why and how music affects physical and psychosocial responses. Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020111412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020192202.htm Using a pacifier for too long may be detrimental to your child's speech. Research suggests that the use of bottles, pacifiers and other sucking behaviors apart from breastfeeding may increase the risk of subsequent speech disorders in young children. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020192202.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151443.htm Change in language can be compared with evolution in the world of animals and plants. According to a Dutch researcher, an individual user of language can spark off an evolution of his or her language. His new approach, comparing linguistic change with evolution, offers a number of advantages for the study of linguistic change. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134707.htm Scientists have found that middle-aged and older adults with little Internet experience were able to trigger key centers in the brain that control decision-making and complex reasoning after just one week of surfing the Web. The findings suggest that Internet training can stimulate neural activation patterns and could potentially enhance brain function and cognition in older adults. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134707.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015192415.htm Researchers in Spain have observed in this first year of the study that, three months after receiving a cochlear implant all the children showed improvement in their perception and ability to detect sounds around them. Children quickly learn that the implant is a device that allows them to hear and if it is deactivated they protest or make gestures asking that it be switched back on. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015192415.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151807.htm For a considerable time already there has been discussion within scientific circles about whether knowing and using multiple languages could possibly have positive effects on the human brain and thinking. There have been a number of international studies on the subject, which indicate that the ability to use more than one language brings an individual a considerable advantage. Mon, 19 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091029151807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016141024.htm Suppose you are at a busy playground and you hear an 11-year-old using language he didn't learn on Sesame Street. There are plenty of other adults around, but, apparently, not this child's parents. Do you intervene? Does anyone? Sun, 18 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091016141024.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015141500.htm Researchers have made a significant breakthrough in explaining gaps in our understanding of human brain function. The study provides a picture of language processing in the brain with unprecedented clarity. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015141500.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014130704.htm A unique study of former guerrillas in Colombia has helped scientists redefine their understanding of the key regions of the brain involved in literacy. The study has enabled the researchers to see how brain structure changed after learning to read. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014130704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013162756.htm If you think choosing between a candy bar and healthful snack is totally a matter of free will, think again. A new study shows that the choices we make to indulge ourselves or exercise self-control depend on how the choices are presented. Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013162756.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012121333.htm Chinese-speaking children with dyslexia have a disorder that is distinctly different, and perhaps more complicated and severe, than that of English speakers. Those differences can be seen in the brain and in the performance of Chinese children on visual and oral language tasks, reveals a new report. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091012121333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914110949.htm Excessive physical strain in dementia care is not so much related to equipment or the resident's body weight as it is due to communication problems and misunderstandings. Mon, 05 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914110949.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001164231.htm The brain's neural mechanisms keep straight which color belongs to what object, so one doesn't mistakenly see a blue flamingo in a pink lake. But what happens when a color loses the object to which it is linked? Research shows for the first time, that instead of disappearing along with the lost object, the color latches onto a region of some other object in view -- a finding that reveals a new basic property of sight. Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001164231.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001091752.htm Good news for procrastinating students: a nasal spray developed by scientists promises to give late night cram sessions a major boost, if a good night's sleep follows. Scientists show that a molecule from the body's immune system (interleukin-6) when administered through the nose helps the brain retain emotional and procedural memories during REM sleep. Fri, 02 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001091752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095343.htm Subliminal messaging is most effective when the message being conveyed is negative, according to new research. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090928095343.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921134836.htm Researchers have long known of the brain's ability to learn based on visual motion input, and a recent study has uncovered more insight into where the learning occurs. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921134836.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929091933.htm A new genetic tool will enable scientists to study vocal learning and neurogenesis at the molecular level in songbirds. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090929091933.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924112845.htm Does "use it or lose it" apply to foreign languages? Although it may seem we have absolutely no memory of the neglected language, new research suggests this "forgotten" language may be more deeply engraved in our minds than we realize. Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924112845.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916133523.htm If your French Immersion student is scratching their tete over not being able to think of the English word for sifflet or the French word for keyboard, a Canadian researcher has a sage piece of advice. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916133523.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922095814.htm This will prolly comes as a bit of a shock to UR system, but findings from a group of researchers show that language commonly used in instant messaging has no effect on your child's spelling abilities. If anything, says a study author, using language variations commonly used in instant messaging and texting is actually a good sign. Wed, 23 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090922095814.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915100947.htm Using modified clips from the program Sesame Beginnings, researchers studied children's ability -- with and without adult support -- to learn a new verb and apply that word to a new scene. The research team found that children under 3 could not learn words directly from the program without adult support. In contrast, children over the age of 3 could learn new words from the video program and understand them later without adult support. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915100947.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916173332.htm When it comes to writing the pen apparently is mightier than the computer keyboard. Second, fourth and sixth grade children with and without handwriting disabilities were able to write more and faster when using a pen than a keyboard to compose essays, according to new research. Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916173332.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915101545.htm Alzheimer’s Disease results in greater language impairments in more highly-educated than less learned patients, according to a new study. The research also revealed that women with the disease fare worse on language tasks, which have been traditionally associated with better performance in healthy women. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915101545.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914194654.htm Is it better to treat someone with kid gloves or to treat them carefully? Researchers in Italy have investigated how the brain recognizes that the first phrase means the same as the second. The researchers suggest that we use both hemispheres to understand idioms. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090914194654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911132802.htm Kim Delvaux was undergoing surgery to remove a brain tumor when doctors woke her up. Her doctor talked to her about her favorite topics -- NASCAR and her kids during the surgery. Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911132802.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910114136.htm Sleep may reduce mistakes in memory, according to a first-of-its-kind study. The findings have practical implications for everyone from students flubbing multiple choice tests to senior citizens confusing their medications. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910114136.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910084303.htm An international research project which looks at bilingual education shows that children can learn a second language as early as preschool. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910084303.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909122100.htm A woman looks familiar, but you can't remember her name or where you met her. New research suggests the memory exists -- you simply can't retrieve it. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909122100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909122144.htm While computers can replicate many aspects of human behavior, they do not possess our ability to recognize distorted images, according to a team of researchers. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909122144.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901202832.htm New research shows that a monkey called the cotton-top tamarin responds to music. The catch? These South American monkeys are essentially immune to human music, but they respond appropriately to "monkey music." Wed, 02 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901202832.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901082851.htm Brain imaging shows playing Tetris leads to a thicker cortex and may also increase brain efficiency, according to a new study. A research team based in New Mexico is one of the first to investigate the effects of practice in the brain using two image techniques. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090901082851.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161337.htm It's easy to list the negative stereotypes attributed to the elderly: they are considered forgetful, hard-of-hearing, absent-minded and confused. What's unsettling is that those stereotypes can be present in children as young as two or three. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090828103928.htm Our vocabulary continues to grow and expand even in adulthood. Just 10 years ago, the word "blog" did not yet exist -- and now we no longer remember when we heard this word for the first time or when we learned its meaning. At some stage new words become just as familiar to us as words we have learned earlier. Sun, 30 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090828103928.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827123319.htm A new candidate gene for Specific Language Impairment has been identified. The results point toward the likelihood of multiple genes contributing to language impairment, some of which also contribute to reading or speech impairment. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090827123319.htm