Numerous studies have already looked into how memory functions in our daily lives, including how we store and retain information under various circumstances. Usually, stimuli presented at the start and end of a list are remembered better than those that are presented in the middle. But can these conclusions be applied to other languages and cultures?
What is Language?
Language is the main method of human communication, consisting of words used in a structured and conventional way and conveyed by speech, writing, or gesture.
Language or verbal communication is the most effective way of communication. It is made up of a variety of components, including context, syntax, semantics, morphology, phonology, and pragmatics. Linguistics, psycholinguistics, and neurolinguistics are three fields that study language from several different perspectives.
Linguistics and its Complexities
Semantics, syntax, and phonology are the three main components of language from a linguistic perspective. Semantics is the branch of linguistics and logic that studies meaning in language. Syntax studies the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language, in other words, sentence structure. Phonology is the branch of linguistics that deals with systems and patterns of sounds within a language, in other words, sound structure. Each given language has its own set of phonological rules. Speakers of a language are familiar with the phonemics and phonetics of the words in their language and the relationship between them.
The word is the smallest unit of language that can be independently used for efficient communication. Words can signify different things in certain settings. For example, in the literal sense, which is the most basic sense, versus a metaphor which is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable; and in the allegory sense, which conveys a meaning not explicitly set forth in the narrative. An allegory may have meaning on two or more levels that the reader can understand only through an interpretive process. This can sometimes cause ambiguity. Homophones, which are words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings, and homographs, which are words with identical spellings, but different meanings, are also factors that can cause misunderstanding.
Working Memory
Working memory is the part of the short-term memory that allows your brain to temporarily hold onto a small amount of information for use in the execution of cognitive tasks, such as language comprehension, reading, reasoning, and decision-making. Working memory is involved in visuospatial processing, attention, and language.
Long-term memory also plays a role in how we communicate and express ourselves. Long-term memory is all of the information we save throughout our lives. There are different types of long-term memory, which include:
- Procedural memory: is a type of long-term memory used to recall motor and executive skills necessary to perform different actions and skills. Procedural memory develops early in life to learn complex things such as grammar or language.
- Perceptual memory: a class of long-term memory for visual (e.g., faces, letters in the alphabet, the spelling of words), auditory (e.g., voices, music, intonation), and other perceptual information (e.g., perfume, flavors).
- Semantic memory: a type of long-term memory that involves recalling general knowledge, sometimes referred to as common knowledge (such as general language and math). People who know about all sorts of topics usually have a well-developed semantic memory.
- Episodic memory: a type of past-oriented memory that allows a person to recall or reexperience specific episodes from one’s personal past. These include information about recent or past events and experiences, such as recalling your first Spanish class. On the other hand, semantic memory would be knowledge of a foreign language such as Spanish.
Grammatical Structures
Sentences are a set of words that is complete in itself, typically containing a subject and predicate, conveying a statement, question, exclamation, or command, and consisting of a main clause and sometimes one or more subordinate clauses. We sometimes use single words to send a message, for example, “HELP!” but generally, we use sentences to communicate effectively. Grammatical rules help decrease the complexity of a message and, therefore, can lighten the load on the working memory.
Grammar is the whole system and structure of a language or of languages in general, usually taken as consisting of syntax and morphology. Syntax is the study of the arrangement or order of words and phrases and their combinations in a sentence. Morphology is the study of words, how they are formed, and their relationship to other words in the same language. Morphology also looks at parts of speech, intonation, and stress, and the ways context can change a word’s pronunciation and meaning.
Language Comprehension
Language comprehension is the ability to understand the different elements of spoken or written language, like the meaning of words and how words are put together to form sentences. The receiver’s working memory capacity and context are both important for language understanding. Language comprehension depends heavily on the context in which it is used. The degree of comprehension is also influenced by a person’s working memory capacity. The size or limit of working capacity varies from individual to individual, depending on their ability. The strain on the working memory can be altered by varying the linguistic difficulty level. This can be done by changing the semantic and syntactic context in which words are presented.
Types of Languages
Theoretically, there are two language classifications: Left Branching languages and Right Branching languages. Right Branching means the most important element comes first. It starts with the subject, followed by a verb, and then the object of the verb. Left Branching means the most important element is at the end. In other words, there are lengthy or significant elements before the subject of the sentence. Below are a few examples of right and left-branching sentences:
Right-branching sentence:
The dog played in the neighbor’s yard.
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Wash your car before picking up your in-laws.
Left-branching sentence:
In the neighbor’s yard is where the dog played.
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Before picking up your in-laws, wash your car.
Most languages aren’t strictly left-branching or right-branching, they often mix both styles, but one branching predominates most of the time. Spanish, for example, while right-branching, can put many modifiers before nouns and, on occasions, objects before verbs. Although English is classified as a right-branching language because the main verbs precede direct objects, they sometimes place adjectives and numerals before their nouns. So, both English and Spanish are flexible in this regard.
Some languages, however, are exclusively left-branching or right-branching. Japanese, for example, and most other languages of northeastern Asia and the Indian subcontinent, are practically a model for rigidly left-branching languages. Many African languages come close to rigidly right-branching, with numerals as well as adjectives following their nouns and with degree words following the adjectives they modify.
Right-branching languages say the most important things up front, right away. In contrast to Left-Branching languages, which hold off the most important information until the end of the sentence so the receptor must retain more information in their memory in order to correctly interpret the sentence. Left-branching and right-branching speakers possess significantly different abilities to recall detail. A right-branching language native can recall details presented at the end with greater ease. A left-branching language native has a better working memory capacity for items presented earlier in a task. It is evident that there is a link between branching direction and working memory.
Conclusion
Language is a reflection of our culture and an important part of higher cognition; it plays a crucial role in learning. Memory plays a significant role in communication. Working memory allows for retaining information while executing language tasks and helps with language comprehension, language production, and the storage of new information in long-term memory. Language is a functional system rather than an anatomical one and depending on the task’s nature and complexity, as well as proficiency, can involve more or fewer brain areas. Language establishes a solid context that can highlight different aspects of who we are. The language and way we speak have an effect on the way we process, store, and retrieve information. The possibility that word order and branching are related to memory offers up new and intriguing directions for psycholinguistic research.
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