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How
the Brain Processes Grammar — and What This Means to You
John Brezinsky, Higher
Education
Marketing Manager
New research
by
scientists at the University of California at San Diego sheds light on
how our brains process grammar. The results of their study, in the
journal Science,1
have direct implications for grammar instruction in second-language
classrooms.
The
Experiment
The scientists wanted to further isolate the how and where the brain
processes grammar as well as whether receptive and productive language
skills integrated in the brain. To do this, they employed new
high-resolution imaging to examine brain activity at levels of detail
previously unattainable. They recorded the neural activity of patients
who were speaking.
The
Results
There are two major results of this study. First, it appears that all
language skills are processed in one area of the brain,
Broca’s
area. Previous studies concluded that receptive skills (listening,
reading) were handled separately in Wernicke’s area. Second,
lexical meaning takes precedence over grammatical form.
Implications
for Grammar Teachers
It now appears clear that grammar must be taught with all four skills.
The brain itself fully integrates grammar with reading, writing,
listening, and speaking, and grammar classrooms should do the same.
Furthermore, thematic lessons that focus on meaning should strongly
facilitate grammar processing as the brain handles lexical meaning
prior to grammatical form.
Use the
Research in Your Classroom
Focus on
Grammar and its online component,
Focus on
Grammar Interactive,
both integrate grammar into all four skills. They also have thematic
units which emphasize meaning in all exercises. This approach has been
successful for over a decade and is now backed up by solid research.
Contact your Pearson
Longman representative today or view sample units online.
Reference
1Sahin, Pinker, Cash, Schomer, and
Halgren. "Sequential Processing of Lexical, Grammatical, and
Phonological Information Within Broca's Area." Science
(16 October 2009): 326
(5951), pp. 445-449.
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