Book contents
- Genes, Brains, Evolution and Language
- Genes, Brains, Evolution and Language
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Third Factors and Formal Languages Theory
- Part III Brains and Genes
- 6 Language and the Brain
- 7 Language and the Genome
- Part IV Animal Communication
- Part V The Evolution of Mind and Language
- Part VI Winding Up
- Notes
- Further Reading
- Index
6 - Language and the Brain
from Part III - Brains and Genes
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 13 November 2025
Book contents
- Genes, Brains, Evolution and Language
- Genes, Brains, Evolution and Language
- Copyright page
- Contents
- Figures
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Part I Introduction
- Part II Third Factors and Formal Languages Theory
- Part III Brains and Genes
- 6 Language and the Brain
- 7 Language and the Genome
- Part IV Animal Communication
- Part V The Evolution of Mind and Language
- Part VI Winding Up
- Notes
- Further Reading
- Index
Summary
In this chapter we enter the field of neuroscience, the study of the structure and workings of the brain. We will focus on the issue of locating brain areas that are activated when people engage in specific activities, especially those that relate to language, which includes producing and perceiving language utterances. We will briefly discuss some methods for the localization of brain functions that were established before modern neuroimaging techniques became available. We discuss instrumental techniques that can be used today to establish which parts of the brain do what. We then review some of the results in modern neurolinguistic work which has revealed very specific brain areas for very specific language functions.
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- Genes, Brains, Evolution and LanguageThe Innateness Debate Continued, pp. 191 - 241Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2025
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