After reading Crystal’s “How the Brain Handles Language” and “How We Mean and How We Analyze Meaning” made me think about language in a way I hadn’t before. I always knew language was connected to the brain, but I didn’t realize how specific areas, like Broca’s area for speech production and Wernicke’s area for comprehension, are so important. At the same time, I kept wondering if it’s really that simple—since the brain is flexible, can other areas take over if one gets damaged? That made me question whether Crystal’s explanations might be just that simple.
I also found myself reflecting on the idea of analyzing meaning. It’s helpful to break things down into categories, but I don’t think meaning can always be reduced to rules or categories. So much depends on context, emotions, and even personal experiences. That makes me think language isn’t purely biological. It's biological in how our brain processes it, but it’s also deeply social and cultural.
As someone studying Korean, this gave me a bit of a boost. It reminded me that my brain is capable of forming new connections if I practice regularly. Instead of just memorizing vocabulary lists (Quizlet cards or flash cards), I want to focus more on using words in real contexts (applying the actual knowledge) so the meanings “stick”/”Stay Stuck.” That feels like a more natural way to learn and is most effective than trying to cram it for an exam.
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