Re: articles

["B. Silk" <bsilk@titan.iwu.edu>]

Although this may or may not have anything to do with non-native speakers 
learning articles, I thought some folks might be interested....

Last year when I was doing some research on language and brain studies, I
came across a piece of research using MRIs (Magnetic Resonant Imaging) of
second-language students in various age groups.  If I remember correctly,
these were Southeast Asians learning Spanish in order to work in South
America.  Anyway, the MRIs of these students' brains while they were
studying the second language showed that the young students' left brains
were activated while the older, adult students showed primarily right
brain activity while studying language.  The older students learned at a
slower rate and had lower test scores than the younger students.  The
researchers concluded that this indicates an optimal time for language
learning. 

I question this interpretation of the results.  Is it that old dogs can't
learn new language tricks, or that old ways are inappropriate for old
dogs?  Perhaps traditional language pedagogy has optimal value when
students' language centers are more likely to be in the left hemisphere,
but that doesn't mean older students are less capable--only that our
conventional pedagogy is less suited to right-brain reception and older
students' learning styles. 

  --Bobbie


   Bobbie Silk
   Illinois Wesleyan University
   P.O. Box 2900                  
   Bloomington, IL  61702-2900     
   (PH:  309/556-3085)
   email:  bsilk@titan.iwu.edu