General Linguistics_Linguistic Task

Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología

11-9003 General Linguistics

Prof. M. Ed. Verónica Castro Ramírez

Linguistic Task

By Nicolás Hernández and Alexandra Obando

San José, Costa Rica

4/02/2014

Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología

Bachillerato en Enseñanza y Traducción del Inglés

General Linguistics

Prof. M. Ed. Verónica Castro Ramírez

Linguistic Task: The Neurology of Language

General Objective:

Students perform a series of activities about parts and functions of the brain that are connected to language.

Specific Objectives:

1. Students identify the different parts of the brain and its functions.

2. Students analyze a criss-cross crossword puzzle.

3. Students produce a speech by looking at pictures about the new conflict in Venezuela.

4. Students solve a case study about the Broca’s area.

Stage Objectives

Procedures Useful Language Assessment Criteria

Materials Time

Pre-task 11

1. The instructor will divide the group in half.

2. Later, he or she will project two images

Where is located that lobe?

What did he/she mean with

convolution?

Good: Students identify the parts of the brain correctly

Acceptable: Students identify

Cards and pictures of the

brain

10 Minutes

with brains on the board

3. Afterwards, he or she will place cards on the board with the different parts of the brain

4. In addition, each student will have a different card with a specific function of those parts of the brain. (only when having to perform)

5. To begin with the activity, the student who is going to identify the part of the brain, will be next to the board.

6. The other classmate will be in front of the board telling the function

7. The student who is next to the board will listen to the function of a particular part of the brain and later take one card posted on the board with the name of that part. Finally place it on the corresponding part of

What did he/she mean with olfactory?

most of the parts of the brain correctly

Poor: The student only identified 3 or

less parts of the brain.

the picture projected.8. To perform the

activity, each group will have the opportunity of discussing the part of the brain they think is the correct.

9. At the end the group who has more right answers wins.

Pre-task 22 1. The instructor divides

the group in half2. Later, he or she gives

each group one sheet of paper with a different criss-cross crossword puzzle.

3. Students will need to try to fit each word in the grid according to the number of letters of each one.

4. By the time they finish the puzzle they will have to create a new word with the letters that are on the yellow grids.

5. They will solve the puzzle by helping one another.

____ cannot fit here

Where does___ fit in?

Good: Students are able to write all the

worlds in the puzzle correctly.

Acceptable: Students are able to write most words

in the puzzle correctly.

Poor: Students write 5 or less

words in the puzzle correctly.

Criss-cross

crossword

puzzles, two

worksheets,

pencils,

erasers

10 Minutes

6. At the end, the instructor will give them the answers on the board, so that they can check them.

Pre-task 3 3 1. The instructor will provide a series of pictures.

2. Later, students will have to create a three paragraph speech taking into account these pictures

3. At the end, each student will read his speech in front of the class.

What is the conflict about?

How can I express___?

Good: The student writes a clear and accurate speech

and shows strong creativity when it is

performed.

Acceptable: The student writes a good speech but

with some mistakes and shows less

creativity when it is performed.

Poor: The student writes a weak

speech with many mistakes.

Pictures, pens and sheets of

paper.

15 minutes

Main Task4

1. The instructor will make groups of four students.

2. He or she will provide a case study about the Broca’s area for the students.

Why is the patient incapable of

producing speech?

What happened to this patient?

Aphasia is an…

Good: Students have active

participation in the case study and answer all the

questions correctly.

Acceptable:

Case study article, sheets of paper, and pens.

20 minutes

3. The case study will be about a patient with Broca’s aphasia.

4. Students will have to answer the questions regarding the case study.

5. At the end, students share their answers with their classmates and the instructor.

disorder due to…damage in the…

Students participate in the case study but some of their answers are not

accurate and clear.

Poor:Students have little participation in the

case study and most of their

answers are not complete and clear.

Curricular Adaptations:

Pre-task 1:

Frontal Lobe Parietal Lobe

Occipital Lobe Temporal Lobe

Wernicke’s Area Broca’s Area

Supplementary Motor Cortex

Left Hemisphere

Right Hemisphere

Processes tactile and

visuospatial stimuli

Processes olfactory stimuli and controls

expression

Processes visual stimuli

Processes auditory stimuli

and controls comprehension

Damage to the first convolution of the

temporal lobe in the left hemisphere

The area of the third frontal

convolution in the left hemisphere

It is specialized for nonlinguistic

auditory stimuli

It is specialized for language and for temporal order

perception

Known as the third language area Pre-task 2:

Answers:

Pre-task 3

Main task: Case study

Based on the following case study, answer the questions below.

A few months later, Broca (1861) encountered a second patient, Lelong, who also exhibited reduced productive speech as the

result of a stroke 1 year before. This 84-year-old patient could say only five words, ‘oui’ (‘yes’), ‘non’ (‘no’), ‘tois’ (a

mispronunciation of ‘trois’ (‘three’) which he used to represent any number), ‘toujours’ (‘always’) and ‘Lelo’ (a mispronunciation of

his own name). Lelong was also found to have a lesion in approximately the same region of the lateral frontal lobe as the first case, and

Broca reported it to the Anatomical Society as an important case, confirming the localization of speech to this area. He wrote:

“The integrity of the third frontal convolution (and perhaps of the second) seems indispensable to the exercise of the faculty of

articulate language . . . I found that in my second patient, the lesion occupied exactly the same seat as with the first- immediately

behind the middle third, opposite the insula and precisely on the same side (translation ours, Broca, 1861a).”

1. In your own words, define Broca’s aphasia.

2. What are the characteristics of a patient with Broca’s aphasia?

3. Why is the patient incapable of producing words?

4. What kind of treatment should be done in order to improve his language quality?

5. How can we integrate a patient with Broca’s aphasia in his family and social life?

6. Is the patient aware of his mistakes and difficulties in speaking? Why?

References

Broca, P. (1861). Remarques sur le sie`ge de la faculte ́ du langage articule ́, suivies d’une observation d’aphe ́ mie (perte de la

parole). Bulletins de la Socie ́ te ́d’anatomie (Paris), 2e serie 1861c; chapter 6: 330–57.

Parker, F. & Riley, K. (2010). Linguistics for Non-Linguists: A Primer with Exercises. (5th Ed.). Boston, U.S. : Allyn & Bacon