Why some people find learning a language harder than others

By Nancy

在學(xué)外語之前，大腦各部分之間就已建立起了相互的聯(lián)系。有些人可能擁有一個特別的神經(jīng)活動模式，這個模式有助于學(xué)習(xí)外語。

People who struggle to learn foreign languages may simply have brains that are not wired to retain linguistic skills,a new study suggests.

Learning a second language is far easier for some adults than others because of innate differences in how the various parts of the brain “talk” to one another.

The difference is so striking that researchers can even predict who will succeed in language skills,and who will fail,simply based on brain scans.

It is all to do with how well language centres of the brain communicate when resting.Most learning occurs when the brain is at rest,which is why sleep is so important.

Scientists at McGill University in Canada found that if left anterior operculum and the left superior temporal gyrus communicate more with each other at rest,then language learning is easier.

最新研究表明，學(xué)外語比較吃力的人，可能僅僅是因?yàn)榇竽X機(jī)制之間缺乏連貫，難以保持語言技能。

有些成年人學(xué)外語就是要比其他人容易得多，這是因?yàn)樗麄兇竽X各部分之間的“溝通”方式與其他人存在先天差異。

這種差異非常明顯，以致于研究人員只需通過腦部掃描，就能判斷誰適合學(xué)外語，誰不適合。

學(xué)得好壞取決于大腦在休息時，各個語言中心之間的交流效率如何。大多數(shù)的學(xué)習(xí)會在大腦放松時進(jìn)行，這也是為什么睡眠如此重要。

加拿大麥吉爾大學(xué)的研究人員發(fā)現(xiàn)，在大腦處于休息的狀態(tài)下，左側(cè)額前回與左側(cè)顳葉上回之間的交流越多，語言學(xué)習(xí)就會越容易。

“These findings have implications for predicting language learning success and failure,”said study author Dr.Xiaoqian Chai.

For the study,researchers scanned the brains of 15 adult English speakers who were about to begin an intensive 12-week French course,and then tested their language abilities both before and after the course.

Participants with stronger connections between the left anterior operculum and an important region of the brain's language network called the left superior temporal gyrus showed greater improvement in the speaking test.

However,that doesn't mean success at a second language is entirely predetermined by the brain's wiring.

“The brain is very plastic,meaning that it can be shaped by learning and experience,”added Dr.Chai.

“The study is a first step to understanding individual differences in second language learning.In the long term it might help us to develop better methods for helping people to learn better.”

Dr.Arturo Hernandez,a neuroscientist at the University of Houston who studies second-language learning and was not involved in the study,said:“The most interesting part of this finding is that the connectivity between the different areas was observed before learning.”

“This shows that some individuals may have a particular neuronal activity pattern that may lend itself to better learning of a second language.”

“這些發(fā)現(xiàn)為預(yù)測語言學(xué)習(xí)的成敗提供了線索，”研究報告作者柴小千（音譯）博士說道。

研究中，研究人員掃描了15名成年人的大腦，這些人都是以英語為母語者。這15人隨后參加了為期12周的法語課程集訓(xùn)，研究人員還測試了他們參加語言課程前后的語言水平。

在這些參與者中，大腦左側(cè)額前回與控制語言學(xué)習(xí)的重要區(qū)域——左側(cè)顳葉上回之間的聯(lián)系更頻繁的人，在語言測試中進(jìn)步更大。

然而，這并不意味著外語學(xué)習(xí)的成功與否完全取決于大腦各部分之間的聯(lián)系。

“大腦的可塑性十分強(qiáng)，會受到學(xué)習(xí)與實(shí)踐的影響，”柴博士補(bǔ)充說。

“這項(xiàng)研究是我們了解個體差異對外語學(xué)習(xí)的影響的第一步。從長遠(yuǎn)來看，它將會有助于我們尋找更合適的方法來幫助人們更好地學(xué)習(xí)語言。”

休斯頓大學(xué)神經(jīng)學(xué)家阿圖羅·赫爾南德斯博士也在研究外語學(xué)習(xí)，但沒有參與這項(xiàng)研究。他表示：“這項(xiàng)發(fā)現(xiàn)最有趣的地方在于，在學(xué)外語之前，大腦各部分之間就已建立起了相互的聯(lián)系。”

“這就表示，有些人可能擁有一個特別的神經(jīng)活動模式，這個模式有助于學(xué)習(xí)外語。”