Re: The Japanese Brain

John W. wrote:
Travers Naran wrote:
Dan Rempel wrote:
Here we go again:

http://tinyurl.com/f5bqo
He's funny. But I'm wondering why he trusts his analog device over,
say, functional MRI that all other linguists have long since adopted
and discovered interested traits in language (e.g., the mandarin-music
connection).

It might depend on exactly what he's using it for. An analog sound is
different than a digital one, and which is better depends entirely on
exactly what you're looking for.

Huh? I'm referring to his analog device to "measure the brain stem's switch mechanism" vs. using magnetic-resonance imaging to directly image the mental activity in the subject's brain.

Doesn't he also say that it's the language itself and the brain of the
person learning rather than the nationality/ethnicity of who is
learning it? To me this makes sense; there has to be a reason why some
people can speak Japanese and sound like a native after a short period
of time yet others can spend years studying and be fluent in all tested
ways yet sound like they just stepped off the plane with a phrasebook.
In general didn't find his stuff in that particular article to be too
over the top.

From other pages I could find on him, it sounds like his research concluded long ago it was the language, not the person. He found Japanese who learned another language first exhibited "Western brain" traits, and foreigners who learned Japanese first exhibited "Japanese brain" traits.

http://www2s.biglobe.ne.jp/~nippon/file/jog240e.html

Sounds quite UN-racist, and un-nihonjinron, to me. And the idea of a language imparting special traits is pretty mainstream now:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/11/041114235846.htm
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: History of French
    ... During its first months a child's brain is developing ... if not exposed to language, ... Until about 15 year ago I believe I spoke Japanese without ...
    (sci.lang)
  • Re: Polynesian and South American place names
    ... You are suggesting that Japanese gen, ... >> linguistics that would be required to make such a claim ... You appeared to be arguing that it was absurd to suppose a language ... We know in that case of the athabascans ...
    (sci.archaeology)
  • Re: Back to the moon? When?
    ... :>:Japanese are better at it. ... They don't speak the same language all over India. ... The US clearly does not understand the Middle East. ... That 'wall' is just to stop the people ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • Re: FMA 24 - Bonding Memories
    ... >>> is taught in Japanese language classes. ... > "relax" your speech. ... > shock does he revert to a softer, younger speech pattern. ...
    (rec.arts.anime.misc)
  • Re: Japanese pen Pals
    ... Hm, and here's one thing - after you've learned a language to a good degree, it gets easier picking up other languages on your own because you know there are several steps to take before you can really get up to ... difficult in asian languages that have no spacing between words such as Chinese and Japanese. ... This series will turn you into a parrot so you can at least blurp out the basics w/o much trouble. ... If you buddy up with a Japanese native who is bilingual and bicultural to a 90%-100% degree like my friend (so she can explain things in both Japanese and English either language), ...
    (sci.lang.japan)
Loading