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Brain Development and its Effect on Language

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The development of the human brain is a complex process. The ability to acquire

language is just one aspect of the process. It is important to note that the brain is not the only

organ involved in language acquisition. Speech perception, phonological processing, syntactic

and semantic processing, and other cognitive processes are also involved in the process. Our

ability to learn language is highly dependent on our brain development and the development of

other cognitive abilities like the ability to coordinate and manage our memory.

The development of the brain occurs in three phases: The first phase is called the

‘neurological’ phase, during which time children are born with no brain circuits or connections.

The second phase is the ‘neurogenesis’ phase, which occurs between the ages of 3 and 6 months.

During this phase, the brain is undergoing major changes, causing it to look different than it does

at any other point in the development of a child. The third phase is the ‘synaptogenesis’ phase,

which occurs between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. During this stage, the brain is growing

synapses between neurons by sending out ‘growth cones.

This paper will discuss various topic related to the brain development and language

acquisition. it will also focus on recent questions not answered as far as brain developed is

concerned. Finally, it will discuss the current debates on brain development.

One of major topics concerning brain development is the neurobiology of language

acquisition, which deals with the study of the brain's process of acquiring language. The

development of brain language circuits involves a complex set of changes in the brain that are

dependent on the brain's experience of the language it is acquiring, its genetic background, and

its interactions with the environment and other brains.

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The first signs of brain language circuits appear in the brain's auditory cortex during the

first three months of life. The brain then uses these circuits to process the sounds of the language

it is acquiring, which in turn helps the brain to learn to process the sounds of spoken language.

The brain then continues to learn to process larger units of words, which it does by acquiring the

meaning of those words and the relationships between those words.

As the child interacts with the words and sentences in the environment, the brain uses the

experience of hearing and seeing those words and sentences to learn to recognize those words

and sentences and to process them with the intent to understand what they mean . The child

continues to learn over time how to better process the language in the environment. This process

continues until the child is able to understand and use spoken language fluently.

The developmental and neurolinguistics approach to the study of language development

is another topic. This approach is useful in the study of language development and acquisition

and can be used to explain why certain groups of children acquire language more easily than

others (Rahim, 2021). This approach shows how language develops and how it is acquired by

children. It suggests how children learn language by listening and how this process is affected by

a child’s genetic programming, environmental input, and social input from other people.

The acquisition of language happens in three stages. During the first stage, children use

their brain to listen to language. During the second stage, children use their brain to understand

what they are hearing and how this understanding is influenced by their genetic programming.

During the final stage, children use their brains to combine the two processes to develop a

working knowledge of the language they are acquiring.

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It also shows how children learn language by interacting with other children who have

different languages. social interaction affects language learning. For example, children who are

exposed to a second language from birth have better language skills than children who are not

exposed to that language. Children who are exposed to more variety of languages have better

language skills than children who are exposed to fewer languages. This is because children who

are exposed to more languages learn to communicate more effectively in multiple languages.

Children who are exposed to multiple languages have better vocabulary development than

children who are exposed to only one language. These children have a richer vocabulary that

allows them to learn more words.

Neuroimaging techniques in the study of language development also explains the brain

development. While the brain is developing the process of acquiring language, it is also

developing connections (synapses) between neurons. The process of learning language requires

the brain to connect the different parts of the brain associated with different aspects of language

processing. The brain can make new connections through experience or through learning.

The brain’s ability to make these connections is affected by the genetic background of the

brain and the language it is developing (or acquiring). These connections are necessary to

achieve the ability to understand and use spoken language. The more connections that can be

made with the help of the language being acquired, the easier it becomes for the brain to process

the acquired language. The brain also benefits from the processing of the language because it can

store information more easily and makes memories more easily. The connections between the

brain and the language being acquired also help make the learning experiences more efficient. As

the brain learns new words and becomes more efficient with the language it is acquiring, the

learning experiences get easier and the brain’s ability to learn improves.
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Another topic is the cognitive neuroscience of learning and human language acquisition

which is a sub-field of cognitive science that uses neuroscience as a tool to study language

development and learning (Goswami, 2019). The key concept in cognitive neuroscience is that of

the neural circuit. A neural circuit is a group of neurons that work together in a specific way to

accomplish a specific goal. this approach has made it possible to explain how the brain acquires

language.

The brain’s language circuits are located in the brain's left hemisphere and are

responsible for processing linguistic processing. These language circuits are involved in speech

perception, language production and language comprehension. These brain circuits are also

responsible for the storing of memories. The development of these circuits is affected by the

different stages of language acquisition, the genetic background of the brain, and the different

languages a child is exposed to.

The acquisition of language involves a lot of cognitive skills such as memory, attention,

and problem solving (Sweller, 2020). It is also influenced by the social environment the child is

exposed to. Social interactions can be either in a group or individually. The social interaction that

a child receives influences the way the brain develops. These effects can be positive or negative

and can be long lasting or only temporary.

One of the questions that have not been answered concerning brain development is "Why

are some children with autism do not acquire language and do not develop into normal adults?"

This question has been researched by neuroscientists that are trying to develop treatments for

children with autism and other language disorders. The answers have not been fully determined

in the literature as of the date of this report. though, some of current research that are not really
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approved indicates that autism and other language disorders are due partly to a defect in the

brain's language circuits. This defect disrupts the brain's ability to develop and acquire language.

Some of the current debates in brain development include brain development of infants

and children with mental retardation. The brain development of the infants and children with

mental retardation is different than that of the normal children since the brain is not fully

developed. The brain of the children with mental retardation is not developed in areas that are

involved in the processing of language due to the defective language circuits.

The defect of the language circuits prevents the infant from acquiring language or

learning. Children with autism have similar language circuits defect. The children with autism

have abnormal neural networks where most of their connections are with each other and not with

the language circuits in the left hemisphere. There is evidence that there is a delay in the

development of the brain and the language circuits in the children with autism.

Another debate is the language development of children with hearing impairment. There

is a debate whether or not the hearing impairment influence the brain's language circuits. hearing

impairment prevents the child from acquiring language through listening. Thus, the language

circuits in the brain are not developed very fast.

The language development of children with hearing impairment are slower than that of

the normal children but not as slow as that of the children with mental retardation. The delay can

be compensated by the use of sign language. The children with hearing impairment use sign

language to communicate with others. The use of sign language helps the brain to develop their

language circuits very fast. The hearing impairment influence the brain's language circuits
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because the neural connections of the language circuits to the hearing circuits are not well

developed.

Conclusion

Brain development and language acquisition are related to culture and are affected by the

social environment a child is exposed to. This is why children in one culture may have a different

way of learning and acquiring certain aspects of language and brain development. The

environment can affect a child’s ability to learn as well. If a child is raised in a family where

English is the main language, they will develop at different rates when compared to a child

raised in a family where they can speak their native language.

Brain development and language acquisition are important parts of the development of

young children. In fact, these are the first steps in the development of language and other

cognitive functions that allow one to think and solve problems. At this point, babies are

acquiring language from the environment. They can follow simple commands and show that they

have understood what has been said, but at this time, their language is still limited.
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References

Goswami, U. (2019). Cognitive Development and Cognitive Neuroscience: The Learning Brain.

Routledge.

Rahim, A. R. (2021). Neurolinguistics and Its Influence on Language Teaching in

Children. Dialogos, 25(1), 1-7.

Sweller, J. (2020). Cognitive load theory and educational technology. Educational Technology Research

and Development, 68(1), 1-16.