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The Neuroscience of Language LING 390 Instructor: Yosef Grodzinsky TUE, THU, 11.35-12.

.55, ARTS 150 Evaluation Homework: 3x20%, Final exam: 40% TOPIC

1. What neurolinguistics is about 2. Three data points to ponder 3. Four queries about these results

# cl. READING 2 Kandell, Eric, James Schwartz & Thomas Jessell. 2000. The Brain and Behavior. Principles of Neural Science. New York: McGraw-Hill, Ch. 1, 5-19. Kandel et al. The Anatomical Organization of the Central Nervous System. Ch. 17, pp. 317-336; Kandel et al. The Functional Organization of Perception and Movement. Ch. 18, pp. 337-348. 3.5 Zeki, Semir. 1993. "Functional specialization in human cerebral cortex". A Vision of the Brain. Boston: Blackwell, Ch. 2, 17-21. Karl Zilles and Katrin Amunts. 2010. Centenary of Brodmanns map conception and fate. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 11, 139-144. Geschwind, Norman. 1970. The organization of language and the brain. Sci., 170, 940-944. Crain, Stephen & Diane Lillo-Martin. 2001. Introduction to Linguistic Theory and Language Acquisition. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. pp. 71-89; 112-121; 165-208. Kirshner, Howard. 2008:
http://www.emedicine.com/neuro/topic437.htm

4. Basic concepts in neuroanatomy

5. Basic concepts in syntax

3.5

HOMEWORK 1 (handed out on Oct. 4th, returned in class on the 11th)


6. The neurobiology of sentence Processing I: aphasia
4 Mayo clinics site:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aphasia/DS00685

Grodzinsky, Yosef. 2006. A blueprint for a brain map of syntax. In Y. Grodzinsky & K. Amunts, eds., Brocas Region. New York: Oxford University Press. Friedmann, Naama & Lewis P. Shapiro. 2003. Agrammatic Comprehension of Simple Active Sentences With Moved Constituents: Hebrew OSV and OVS Structures Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, 46, 288-297.
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7. The neurobiology of sentence Processing II: imaging the healthy Brain

Huettel, S., A. Song & G. McCarthy. 2004. Functional MRI. Sinauer. 159-165; 185-190; 283-302. Santi, Andrea & Yosef Grodzinsky. 2007. Working Memory and Syntax Interact in Broca's Area. NeuroImage, 37, 8-17.

HOMEWORK 2 (handed out on Nov. 1st, returned in class on Nov. 8th)


8. Semantics in the brain I: aphasia (some guest lectures: Isabelle Deschamps)
2 Hillis Argye, and Caramazza Alfonso. 1991. Mechanisms for accessing lexical representations for output: evidence from a category-specific semantic deficit. Brain & Language, 40, 106-144. Piango Maria & Edgar Zurif. 2001. Semantic operations in aphasic comprehension: implications for the cortical organization of language. Brain and Language, 79, 297-308. Kotz, et al., 2002. Modulation of the lexical-semantic network by auditory semantic priming: an event-related functional MRI study. NeuroImage, 17, 1761-1772. Rissman et al., 2003. An event-related fMRI investigation of implicit semantic priming. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 15:8, 1160-1175. Fazio et al. 2009. Encoding of human action in Brocas area. Brain, 132, 1980-88. Grodzinsky, Y. forthcoming. The mirror theory of language: a neuro-linguists perspective. Gould, Stephen Jay. 1981. The Mismeasure of Man, Ch. 3, 72-112.

HOMEWORK 3 (handed out on Nov. 22nd, returned in class on Nov. 29th)


9. Semantics in the brain II: health (some guest lectures: Isabelle Deschamps)
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10. Anti-modular approaches: The mirror system and language

11. Variation, science and racism 12. Final thoughts and discussion of exam

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FINAL EXAM
In accord with McGill Universitys Charter of Students Rights, students in this course have the right to submit in English or in French any written work that is to be graded. McGill University values academic integrity. Therefore all students must understand the meaning and consequences of cheating, plagiarism and other academic offences under the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures (see http://www.mcgill.ca/students/srr/honest/ for more information)

L'universit McGill attache une haute importance lhonntet acadmique. Il incombe par consquent tous les tudiants de comprendre ce que l'on entend par tricherie, plagiat et autres infractions acadmiques, ainsi que les consquences que peuvent avoir de telles actions, selon le Code de conduite de l'tudiant et des procdures disciplinaires (pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez consulter le site http://www.mcgill.ca/students/srr/honest/)

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