Language

Question 1

What is speech?

Answer 1

The output of sounds from one human intended for another

Question 2

What is language?

Answer 2

The result of the ability to translate ideas into signals meant for another person.

Question 3

What is communication?

Answer 3

The ability to convey ideas to one another, irrespective of media/channel.

Question 4

In the example, “I need water”, identify the speech, language, and communication components of this passage?

Answer 4

“I need water” is the speech. The language is English and the concept of thirst is being communicated.

Question 5

What are the key features of communication?

Answer 5

Symbolic, Syntax, and Recursion

Question 6

What is considered symbolic?

Answer 6

Using a word to express an abstract idea

Question 7

What is syntax?

Answer 7

The ability to create sentences and phrases; the rules to form sentences and phrases

Question 8

What is considered recursive?

Answer 8

The ability to take discrete elements, like words or numbers, and recombine.

Question 9

What is the main difference between animal communication and human language?

Answer 9

Recursion

Question 10

What is an example of recursion?

Answer 10

“My great-great-great grandmother”

Question 11

What is a phoneme?

Answer 11

Distinct word sounds, smallest unit of sound that distinguishes one word from another ( tab versus tag ) - this may be more than one letter

Question 12

What is morphology?

Answer 12

Words and their parts ( including prefixes and suffixes, smallest units of meaning )

Question 13

What are pragmatics?

Answer 13

Meaning in context

Question 14

What are semantics?

Answer 14

Literal meaning

Question 15

What are aphasias?

Answer 15

The loss of language

Question 16

What are some reasons a person may have trouble speaking?

Answer 16

Dysphonia and damage to particular areas of the brain

Question 17

What is dysphonia?

Answer 17

An injury or overuse of muscle fibers or sound production organs used for speech ( laryngitis )

Question 18

In the context of language, damage to particular areas of the brain could result in what?

Answer 18

Damage to particular areas of the brain could result in the loss of the ability to either produce or comprehend language.

Question 19

What is a language disorder?

Answer 19

Problems with language comprehension and formulation

Question 20

What are the difficulties you’d expect from someone with aphasia?

Answer 20

A difficulty remembering words or losing the ability to speak, read, or write.

Question 21

What other type of language can aphasia affect?

Answer 21

It can affect visual language, such as sign language

Question 22

What can be some suspected causes of aphasia?

Answer 22

Brain damage ( stroke, tumor, infection, dementia )

Question 23

What is an expressive language disorder?

Answer 23

Relates to someone who has difficulty getting a point across, which is usually the result of damage to Broca’s area.

Question 24

What is a receptive language disorder?

Answer 24

Can be linked to difficulty receiving, understanding, and retaining information, and can have numerous causes

Question 25

In humans there is Left|Right asymmetry in the language areas, resulting in which side being larger than the other?

Answer 25

The left side’s language area is much bigger than the right side

Question 26

In terms of processing and comprehension, what is Wernicke’s area responsible for?

Answer 26

Speech comprehension

Question 27

In terms of processing and comprehension, what is Broca’s Area responsible for?

Answer 27

Language processing, speech or sign processing and comprehension

Question 28

What connects Wernicke and Broca’s area?

Answer 28

The Arcuate Fasciculus

Question 29

What are the characteristics of Broca’s Aphasia?

Answer 29

Halting speech
Tendency to repeat phrases or words ( Perseveration )
Disordered syntax
Disordered grammar
Disordered structure of individual words
Comprehension intact

Question 30

What are the characteristics of Wernicke’s Aphasia?

Answer 30

Fluent speech
Little spontaneous repetition
Syntax adequate
Grammar adequate
Contrived or inappropriate words
Comprehension not intact

Question 31

What can be used as a therapy in aphasias that can still be useful as a creative way of communication?

Answer 31

Art

Question 32

What is conduction ahphasia?

Answer 32

A rare form of aphasia in which both expression and comprehension remain intact, but the patient shows an isolated impairment in their ability to repeat simple phrases.

Question 33

What is dyslexia?

Answer 33

Defined by the International Dyslexia Association as : a specific learning difference that is neurological in origin

Question 34

How can we characterize dyslexia?

Answer 34

Dyslexia can be characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities.

Question 35

Even though people with Dyslexia have trouble understanding words, what can they usually understand?

Answer 35

They can usually understand the same words when they are read aloud by another person.

Question 36

What else can dyslexia affect?

Answer 36

Dyslexia can also affect balance and auditory issues

Question 37

What does damage to the left premotor areas impair, and what is this termed as?

Answer 37

Damage to the left premotor areas impairs verb retrieval and this can be referred to as, averbia

Question 38

What is the Forkhead Box Protein P2 ( FoxP2 )?

Answer 38

A transcription factor that is expressed at high levels in the brain during fetal development

Question 39

What are the functions of FoxP2 and where can it be shown?

Answer 39

FoxP2 plays a role in songbird mimicry and altered expression affects brain function in language related cortical areas causes developmental verbal dyspraxia.

It can be shown in vitro and in vivo to affects brain developmental and neural plasticity in humans and mice.