2013 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
The Elucidation of Sign Language Acquisition Mechanism Based on the Linguistic Function of the Brain
| Project/Area Number |
20220005
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Field |
Neuroscience in general
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| Research Institution | The University of Tokyo |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
SASAKI Michiko 桜美林大学, 言語学系, 教授 (80178665)
KOISHI Atsuko 慶應義塾大学, 総合政策学部, 教授 (20186589)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2008-05-12 – 2013-03-31
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| Keywords | 言語神経科学 / 言語獲得 / 脳機能イメージング / 文法 / バイリンガル教育 / バイリテラシー / 言語環境 / 書記日本語評価プログラム |
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| Research Abstract |
By testing Deaf participants who used a Sign Language, we found that the activated regions in the left frontal cortex gradually expanded in the dorso-ventral axis, according to word-, sentence-, and discourse-levels of language processing. We also clarified correlations between individual task performances and gray matter volumes in different localized regions, indicating the neural basis of individuality for sign language acquisition. We developed teaching materials and programs to assess abilities of Deaf children in written Japanese, and clarified their various challenges in reading at sentence- rather than word-level. As for the research on the correlation between language development and academic performances, we found that principles relevant to bilingual education with spoken languages were applicable to bilingual education with different modalities, and that the signed form of a spoken language could not induce the acquisition of the written form of that spoken language.
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