Group items matching

in title, tags, annotations or url

Being able to speak two languages isn't just useful for traveling to other countries -- it could actually help keep your brain in tip-top shape in older age, a new study suggests.

Developing language skills appears to be more important for boys than girls in helping them to develop self-control and, ultimately, succeed in school, according to a study led by a Michigan State University researcher. Language skills -- specifically the building of vocabulary -- help children regulate their emotions and behavior and that boys lag behind girls in both language skills and self-regulation. The researchers noted that while girls overall seemed to have a more natural ability to control themselves and focus, boys with a strong vocabulary showed a dramatic increase in this ability to self-regulate -- even doing as well in this regard as girls with a strong vocabulary.

"This shows that our brain has a complex sensitivity to our own speech that helps us distinguish between our vocalizations and those of others, and makes sure that what we say is actually what we meant to say," Flinker says.... While the study doesn't specifically address why humans need to track their own speech so closely, Flinker theorizes that, among other things, tracking our own speech is important for language development, monitoring what we say and adjusting to various noise environments.

Interesting article/interview with a forensic linguist gives insight into how exactly they catch criminals.

Learn a new language while you instant message!

Using advanced tools such as magnetic resonance imaging, researchers are finding that writing by hand is more than just a way to communicate. The practice helps with learning letters and shapes, can improve idea composition and expression, and may aid fine motor-skill development.

"Every 14 days a language dies. By 2100, more than half of the more than 7,000 languages spoken on Earth ... may disappear." National Geographic wants to help by "identifying language hotspots ... and documenting the languages and cultures within them."

"Chatting with others in a friendly-rather than competitive-tone boosts the part of the brain that helps us solve everyday problems."

"Susan Levine finds that simply repeating the numbers isn't as good as helping kids understand what they mean... "Counting objects and saying, 'Oh, you have four cars: one, two, three, four,' while you point at them - seems to be better," Levine says."

This is a helpful site about how to read a spectrogram that hasn't been labelled, such as one that you might record yourself using special software.

scholarly journal article describes research in more depth about why writing about a recent break-up helps you get over it faster

"They are making the inference - not consciously - that when someone has difficulty making a word they are most likely referring to an object that is rare," says Aslin.

Just having a feminine voice means you're probably not as capable at your job. At least, studies suggest, that's what many people in the United States think. There's a gender bias in how Americans perceive feminine voices: as insecure, less competent and less trustworthy.

Swearing like a sailor helps to lessen pain. Study shows that swearing and the effect of the brain helps to lessen pain. This is a book so you might have to download a PDF.

A scientific study on how listening to certain tones while studying can help the brain phase out distractions.

Body language is its own means of communication. It allows individuals to present themselves as a leader or surrender to self-deprecation. The five strategies listed in this article can help anyone use body language to their own advantage!

Spontaneous gesture can help children learn, whether they use a spoken language or sign language, according to a new report by Susan Goldin-Meadow, psychology professor at the University of Chicago. "Children who can hear use gesture along with speech to communicate as they acquire spoken language," a researcher said. "Those gesture-plus-word combinations precede and predict the acquisition of word combinations that convey the same notions. Gesture plays a role in learning for signers even though it is in the same modality as sign. As a result, gesture cannot aid learners simply by providing a second modality. Rather, gesture adds imagery to the categorical distinctions that form the core of both spoken and sign languages. Goldin-Meadow concludes that gesture can be the basis for a self-made language, assuming linguistic forms and functions when other vehicles are not available. But when a conventional spoken or sign language is present, gesture works along with language, helping to promote learning.