Rice University
Linguistics 411, Neurolinguistics
Introduction and Course Outline
Introduction to the Course
This course explores the neurological basis of our ability to speak,
understand speech, learn languages, and read and write. We are interested
in what the information is that makes these processes possible, how it
is acquired, and how it is represented in the brain.
We draw upon evidence from linguistics, aphasiology, and cognitive
neuroscience.
From linguistics
we get data on the kinds of information our linguistic systems are
capable of producing and comprehending —
phonological, grammatical, semantic, etc.
Neurolinguistics has both a larger scale and a microscopic scale:
(1) At the larger scale, the systems level, we are
concerned with localization of different linguistic functions in
particular parts of the cortex and the interconnections among the various
subsystems which support their interactions.
(2) At the microscopic level, we would like to know how the elements of
the cognitive network are
implemented by neural structures and their interconnections. In
the past, the field of neurolinguistics has concerned itself almost
entirely just with the larger scale,— the systems level. But we are now
gaining the knowledge and boldness to explore the microscopic level.
At the larger scale, neurolinguistics relies heavily on evidence from
aphasiology, the branch of neurology that investigates impairments of
language ability resulting from damage to the brain, for example as a
result of a stroke. Some patients can't speak but they can understand;
others can't understand but they can speak, although their speech doesn't
make much sense; and these two types of patients have damage in different
parts of the left cerebral hemisphere. These are two of several types of
aphasia. Aphasiology can tell us a lot about where various
functions are being carried out, though its findings remain inconclusive
and puzzling about the details.
We will devote attention to this classical method of investigation in
neurolinguistics, which relates area of brain damage
to type of impairment of ability. Other sources of evidence include (1)
intraoperative mapping and (2) functional brain imaging.
In (1), information is obtained during
brain surgery by electrically stimulating points in the cortex while the
patient, under local anesthesia, is conscious and able to describe the
experience evoked by such stimulation. In (2), information is obtained by
recently developed techniques of brain imaging, including PET-scans,
functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI),
and magnetoencephalography ("MEG"), the newest brain imaging technique.
We are learning interesting things from these techniques,
although they are rather imprecise and often misleading. None of the brain
imaging techniques provide good spatial resolution, but MEG at least
provides excellent temporal resolution.
These techinques, along
with aphasiology, entail difficult problems of interpretation, especially
since the work of any local brain area is always just a part of a complex
interactive process in which it is working in harmony with others: The
brain is always doing many things at once, and even
seemingly simple kinds of information tend to be highly distributed.
Schedule
The first week will provide an introduction to brain anatomy. There are then
a few weeks devoted to the larger scale, mostly aphasiology. In the
second half of the course we will consider the microscopic level and the
fascinating question of how linguistic (and other) information is
represented in the brain.
For details, see the list of readings
and the course schedule
Components of the Learning Experience
Readings
Assigned readings will be available in the course packets,
one for the first half of the course, the other for the
second. See the list of readings on separate web page.
The Language
and Brain website, at www.rice.edu/langbrain, contains additional
information that may be of interest.
Classroom Participation.
You are encouraged
to raise questions in class, to participate actively in discussions,
and to suggest alternative interpretations of findings and alternative
explanations for cases and problems we will work on.
You are especially
encouraged to ask questions by email to the instructor at any time, like
when the question comes up as you are reading. Questions will also be
welcome in class or written out to be handed in during class
periods.
Exams
There will be two exams, on
Thursday February 26th and Thursday April 15th.
Quizzes
There will be a few short
quizzes (five minutes each), not necessarily pre-announced. They
will be given at the start of the class meeting. The first one, covering
material of the first week, will be given on Tuesday, January 20th.
Term Project
Early in the semester,
each student should select a problem to work on and/or a book or set of
related papers from a
list to be provided, or another selection if approved by the
instructor. Every student should consult with the instructor
early in the semester, to identify a project that suits his/her
interests and background.
Your aim will
be to bring up findings or proposals that cast new
light on the exploration being undertaken in this class. In some cases
you may want to criticize some of the material selected for study.
At the end of the
semester you will summarize your findings in a brief oral report to the
class and in a written report of about
ten to twenty pages (with wide margins). These papers will be due at
the end of the exam period. Alternatively, you may present your report
in the form of a web page. Good reports may be added (after editing) to
the language and brain web
page, at www.rice.edu/langbrain.
As an alternative
to this type of project, a student with programming skills may want to
do a project in Java or other web-oriented format, producing a web page
for addition to the langbrain website.
Basis for Grading
| Classroom participation, including quizzes
| 10% |
| Exams | 60% (30% each) |
| Term Project | 30% |
Any student with a disability requiring accommodation
in this course is encouraged to contact me after class or during office
hours. Such students should also contact Disability Support Services in
the Ley Student Center.
Home Page for the Course
Readings
Schedule
Language and Brain Website
The page last updated 9 Dec 2003.
© 2000 Rice University. This
document, or portions of it, may be used for
non-commercial informational purposes.