UCLA LING 1 FINAL EXAM REVIEW STUDY
NOTES
◉ descriptive grammar.
Answer: linguist's description or model of the mental grammar
What speaker's rules actually are
speaker's grammar
linguist's grammar
◉ prescriptive grammar.
Answer: rules of grammar (often based on Latin) used by teachers
What speaker's rules should be
◉ lateralization.
Answer: language is "lateralized" to the left hemisphere
Without access to the left cerebral hemisphere, normal language
processing cannot occur.
◉ Dichotic Listening Tests.
Answer: Different sounds are played in both ears
Subject reports hearing only one
,Sound from right ear is almost always reported
Conclusion: at least auditory processing of language seems to be in
the left hemisphere
◉ Split Brain Patients.
Answer: In severe cases of epilepsy, the corpus callosum is
sometimes severed
As a result, the two hemispheres can not share information
Linguistic responses are not possible if stimulus was presented to
the right hemisphere (left visual field).
◉ Wada Tests.
Answer: One hemisphere of a patient's brain is temporarily put to
sleep.
Patient then asked to read words &/or numbers, identify objects, &
respond to questions.
Result? An inability to produce language when left side is
anesthetized.
◉ aphasia.
Answer: a disruption in language abilities (production and/or
comprehension) due to brain injury
◉ Tan's Brain.
,Answer: Patient named Louis Victor Lebourgne, but nicknamed
'Tan'.
His utterances were limited to a single syllable, "tan", usually twice.
Couldn't produce language.
1861: Paul Broca examined Tan's Brain (post-mortem).
Came to the conclusion that the loss of language ability was linked to
the local damage in "Broca's area".
◉ Broca's aphasia.
Answer: Speech is broken and halted (telegraphic speech)
Words make some sense, but the structure is incorrect
a.k.a. agrammatic aphasia
Comprehension in Broca's aphasics is mostly in tact, but there are
problems with complex sentences
Lesions found in particular part of the LH
(frontal lobe)
Semantics (meaning): Okay
Syntax (structure): Not okay
Comprehension: Mostly OK
Writing: Few words, but they do make sense.
◉ wernicke's aphasia.
, Answer: speech is fluent, but doesn't make much sense
•grammar usually not affected
•problem w/ word choice and meaning •Neologisms-newly created
words •comprehension severely impaired
•a.k.a. semantic aphasia
Semantics (meaning): NOT okay
• Syntax (structure): okay
• Comprehension: NOT okay
Writing: Many words, but they do not make sense.
◉ Anomia.
Answer: Another kind of aphasia
Patients have difficulty finding words during speech and when asked
to name things, but can describe exactly what an object is for
No problem with comprehension or repetition of words
Can be very specific (plants/animals, food words, peoples names,
etc)
Anomia is difficult to localize.
Often associated with damage to the angular gyrus
◉ What can we learn from aphasiology?.
Answer: Language function isn't housed in a simple 'box' in the brain
NOTES
◉ descriptive grammar.
Answer: linguist's description or model of the mental grammar
What speaker's rules actually are
speaker's grammar
linguist's grammar
◉ prescriptive grammar.
Answer: rules of grammar (often based on Latin) used by teachers
What speaker's rules should be
◉ lateralization.
Answer: language is "lateralized" to the left hemisphere
Without access to the left cerebral hemisphere, normal language
processing cannot occur.
◉ Dichotic Listening Tests.
Answer: Different sounds are played in both ears
Subject reports hearing only one
,Sound from right ear is almost always reported
Conclusion: at least auditory processing of language seems to be in
the left hemisphere
◉ Split Brain Patients.
Answer: In severe cases of epilepsy, the corpus callosum is
sometimes severed
As a result, the two hemispheres can not share information
Linguistic responses are not possible if stimulus was presented to
the right hemisphere (left visual field).
◉ Wada Tests.
Answer: One hemisphere of a patient's brain is temporarily put to
sleep.
Patient then asked to read words &/or numbers, identify objects, &
respond to questions.
Result? An inability to produce language when left side is
anesthetized.
◉ aphasia.
Answer: a disruption in language abilities (production and/or
comprehension) due to brain injury
◉ Tan's Brain.
,Answer: Patient named Louis Victor Lebourgne, but nicknamed
'Tan'.
His utterances were limited to a single syllable, "tan", usually twice.
Couldn't produce language.
1861: Paul Broca examined Tan's Brain (post-mortem).
Came to the conclusion that the loss of language ability was linked to
the local damage in "Broca's area".
◉ Broca's aphasia.
Answer: Speech is broken and halted (telegraphic speech)
Words make some sense, but the structure is incorrect
a.k.a. agrammatic aphasia
Comprehension in Broca's aphasics is mostly in tact, but there are
problems with complex sentences
Lesions found in particular part of the LH
(frontal lobe)
Semantics (meaning): Okay
Syntax (structure): Not okay
Comprehension: Mostly OK
Writing: Few words, but they do make sense.
◉ wernicke's aphasia.
, Answer: speech is fluent, but doesn't make much sense
•grammar usually not affected
•problem w/ word choice and meaning •Neologisms-newly created
words •comprehension severely impaired
•a.k.a. semantic aphasia
Semantics (meaning): NOT okay
• Syntax (structure): okay
• Comprehension: NOT okay
Writing: Many words, but they do not make sense.
◉ Anomia.
Answer: Another kind of aphasia
Patients have difficulty finding words during speech and when asked
to name things, but can describe exactly what an object is for
No problem with comprehension or repetition of words
Can be very specific (plants/animals, food words, peoples names,
etc)
Anomia is difficult to localize.
Often associated with damage to the angular gyrus
◉ What can we learn from aphasiology?.
Answer: Language function isn't housed in a simple 'box' in the brain
