Brain Competence In Language Learning

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In summary, the right and left hemispheres have distinctly different cognitive functions. Two separate and unique ways of processing stimuli exist within each person. Both hemispheres receive and process sensory information from the surrounding environment and each hemisphere processes the information separately (Sousa, 2006; Vitale, 1982).
Although, the notion of localization of brain function emerged from early studies of brain-damaged individuals, recently, hemispheric asymmetry has been investigated by studies on normal people in a number of ways. Some of the techniques on normal people are similar to ones previously used in clinical populations (i.e., tachistoscopic presentation and dichotic listening technique), whereas other studies …show more content…

In other words, left brain dominance can determine a higher level grammatical sensitivity than right brain dominance. This occurs because grammatical sensitivity requires analytic thinking and it is precisely in the left hemisphere where this kind of reasoning takes place (Piruad, 2008).
2.2.3.1. Empirical evidences on hemispheric dominancy
There is a rapidly growing literature on the role of brain dominancy in language learning and education. This part starts by outlining the results of the related researches conducted on this matter.
Regarding the issue of brain dominancy and students achievements, Jarsonbeck (1984) conducted a study to examine the effects of right-brain mathematics instruction on low achieving students. The results showed that more right-brain dominance students were in the lower achieving group, whereas more left-brain dominance students were in the higher achieving group. In addition, it showed that students in the control group, left-brain instruction, achieved higher scores if they were left-brain preference, whereas students in the experimental group, right-brain instruction, achieved higher scores if they were right-brain preference. The study indicated the importance of matching teaching strategies to student hemispheric …show more content…

He reported that humanities students showed preference for the right-hemispheric dominance. Natural science students demonstrated a left-hemispheric mode, while social science majors showed preference for left-hemispheric dominance.” (p. 7)
In order to test the effects of hemispheric dominance upon course grades of undergraduate psychology students Gadzella (1995) conducted a study and claimed that there were significant differences between left-brain dominance and right-brain dominance groups with the left-brain dominance group obtaining higher course grades. The course grades did not differ significantly for the integrated-brain group compared to left-brain and right-brain groups.
Even though most of the literature suggests each of the brain hemispheres as dichotomies, Saleh and Iran-Nejad (1995) through the idea of hemispheric dominance suggests that brain hemisphericity acts on a continuum and it is not dichotomous. Some studies found that students taught through methods that matched their hemispheric styles achieved statistically significant higher test scores than when they were taught through other teaching methods (Jarsonbeck,

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