An important consideration for understanding which parts of the brain are responsible for the production and comprehension of speech is that communication is a complex process that requires many parts to function in harmony. According to the localization theory, there are single areas of the brain that correspond with behavioral functions, but these specific functions must work together for speech to be produced, communicated, and understood. More specifically, the front part of the parietal lobe is connected with speech and the upper part of the temporal lobe (Heschl’s gyri) is a part involved with auditory reception. In addition, Broca’s area (lower back part of the frontal lobe) is primarily responsible for the encoding of speech (Crystal 175). It is evident that there are numerous parts of the brain contributing one single communication process all at the same time.
The complex process that covers the production and comprehension of language is referred to as neurolinguistics processing. There are five major interrelated steps in the process that break down the process of communicating and accurately receiving meaning. First, a message is conceptualized and an initial intention to communicate is formed. Second, the conceptualization of an idea or thought is encoded into a language structure. Then, the encoded language structure is transformed into a code that can be spoken to transfer the message. Next, motor functions send signals to activate various parts of the vocal tract for speaking. Finally, proprioceptive feedback is constantly being generated during this process to internally monitor the communication process (Crystal 176).
Neurolinguistics processing can offer a few general models to help us better understand the relationship between the functions of physical parts of the brain and the process steps. The three models discussed by Crystal include speech production, speech comprehension, and reading aloud. For example, during speech production, thought is generated in Wernicke’s area and encoding is constructed in Broca’s area. Then, motor programming allows for the encoded message to be communicated verbally through vocal organs (Crystal 177).
Focusing more closely on the part of the process where meaning is analyzed, structuralist ideas suggest that language is “a network of systematic relationships between units of meaning” (Crystal 192). Phonology represents the system of sound units to produce meaning aloud and graphology represents the system of graphic units used to convey written meaning. Further, the units referred to by this concept are in fact words. Through the word choices that we make, we convey different meanings.
As it pertains to my own studies, these articles remind me that it is important to be activating multiple senses and parts of the brain while learning to communicate in a new language. The process for conceptualizing thoughts, encoding those thoughts, and transferring the meaning using written and verbal communication requires many skills and individual part functions. In order to successfully train my brain to communicate meaning in a new way, I would like to equally focus on speaking, writing, and auditory processing language skills. To fully consider myself able to communicate in another language, I will practice my abilities to speak with a proper accent, recognize new speech sounds, and learn to read an unfamiliar character alphabet. As mentioned in Crystal’s articles, the process involves motor functions of the organs (vocals/hands), as well as the brain. In learning my new language, I will seek to activate these motor functions through immediate verbal communication and quickly memorizing the new alphabet script, so that all areas of my brain and body will begin to adapt to the communication forms of Maltese.
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