Language and the Brain: A Slim Guide to Neurolinguistics

by Jonathan R Brennan

This book introduces readers to the state-of-the-art neuroscientific research that is revolutionizing our understanding of language. Interest in the brain bases of language goes back to the birth of the modern neurosciences in the late nineteenth century. Today, tools such as fMRI and EEG allow us to study brain activity non-invasively as people perform complex cognitive tasks like talking or reading. In this book, Jonathan Brennan shows how brain signals are connected with the intricate cognitive structures that underlie human language. Each chapter focuses on specific insights including the neural codes for speech perception, meaning, and sentence structure. The book also explores larger themes such as how to connect abstract notions like "knowing a language" to concrete signals that are measured in a laboratory, and how to reconcile apparently conflicting pieces of data that arise from different experiments. Written in an accessible, conversational style, and featuring a
glossary of key terms, this slim guide will appeal to a wide range of readers interested in how the human brain allows us to use language.

Genres: Linguistics, Science

222 pages, Hardcover

Published August 12, 2022

Reviews

[Wing · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing trip. From how the brain processes sound into words, to how the brain stores concepts, and finally to where the brain analyses sentences, this book demonstrates how neuroscience informs linguistics by testing its theories. Written presumably for linguists, it assumes no prior knowledge of neuroscience but requires some basic understanding of the ethos of linguistics. It essentially is a primer, and guides interested readers to formulate hypotheses and design experiments. Published this year (2022) it includes many studies conducted recently (up to 2020). Of course the frontiers are still open, and the mystery of how the brain constructs novel sentences - all the time - is only beginning to be unveiled. Such an exciting field. Five stars.

[Olé Vorawee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book especially for someone who are interested in languages and neuroscience like me. The book delivers great perspective and big picture of neurolinguistics. This book aims to prepare you to do further reading on research in the area.

Note: Since I already have some basic knowledge of brain inspection methodology like fMRI and EEG, I could skim through the first few chapters quickly. But I don't think there will be a problem for someone without the knowledge in the field because the author wrote a wonderful chapter on brain anatomy 101. It taught me even how to call each specific parts of the brain which is quite fun.

The only things that could be improved about this book are some typos and dense information in some chapters. You might need some break time to digest.

[Setayesh Dashti]

A bit more technical than what I was expecting but nonetheless a very good introduction to neurolinguistics. Two main takeaways for me: 1. it was extremely interesting to see experimental evidence for the existence of many theoretical assumptions in theoretical linguistics (which made me think about how essential such evidence is to theorizing and formalizing), and 2. human brain uses predictions way more than I assumed before. I'd like to know more about what neurolinguists think of LLMs versus human brain!

[Mihai Grigore · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great introductory text to neurolinguistics. It explains most of the required concepts in an easily digestible way, except for phonology, which it just assumes you're familiar with and which I would strongly advise future readers to get a basic understanding of first (otherwise you might have to slog through a couple of chapters, like I did).

[Ana Paes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very complete, it helped me a lot with my work.

[hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

it’s a book and i finished it idc it counts. but honestly first ever textbook i didn’t HATE reading

[Joshua Timmins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing intro to the topic.