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Neurolinguistic Applications to SLA Classroom Instruction: a Review of the Issues with a Focus on Danesi's Bimodality

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Neurolinguistic Applications to SLA Classroom Instruction: a Review of the Issues with a Focus on Danesi's Bimodality DOCUMENT RESUME ED 423 677 FL 025 478 AUTHOR Kim-Rivera, E. G. TITLE Neurolinguistic Applications to SLA Classroom Instruction: A Review of the Issues with a Focus on Danesi's Bimodality. PUB DATE 1998-00-00 NOTE 14p.; For complete volume of working papers, see FL 025 473. PUB TYPE Journal Articles (080) Reports Research (143) JOURNAL CIT Texas Papers in Foreign Language Education; v3 n2 p91-103 Spr 1998 EDRS PRICE MF01/PC01 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Brain Hemisphere Functions; *Language Processing; *Linguistic Theory; *Neurolinguistics; Second Language Instruction; Second Language Learning; Second Languages IDENTIFIERS *Bimodal Theory; *Danesi (Marcel) ABSTRACT Few studies have approached second language teaching from a neurolinguistic perspective. An exception is Marcel Danesi's educational construct of neurological bimodality, an attempt to find a neurological foundation for classroom language instruction. The underlying hypothesis is that there is a natural flow of information processing from the right to the left hemispheres of the brain during language learning; therefore, language instruction should reflect that flow direction by providing concrete forms of instruction at early language learning stages and more formal and abstract instruction at later stages. However, the hypothesis raises questions; for example, the evidence for riaht-hemisphere functions in second language learning is contradictory, yet those functions are an important elemenc in bimodality. In addition, there have been few empirical studies supporting the hypothesis. (Contains 27 references.)(Author/MSE) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ******************************************************************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY O This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating it. M. Carpenter O Minor changes have been made to J. Madden improve reproduction quality. ° Points of view or opinions stated in this TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy. 1 Neurolinguistic Applications to SLA ClassroomInstruction: 'A Re- t-t-- view of the Issues witha Focus on Danesi's Bimodality kt) E. G. KIM-RIVERA A Few studies have approached second languageteaching from the p er- spective of neurolinguistics. An exception is Danesi'seducational con- struct called bimodality. Bimodalityis an attempt to provide aneuro- linguistic foundation for language instruction in theclassroom. The underlying hypothesis is that there isa natural flow of information processing from the right to theleft hemisphere of the brain during language learning; therefore, language instructionshouldreflect that flow direction by providing concrete forms ofinstruction at early stages and more formal and abstract instructionsat later stages. This hypothe- sis, however,raises questions.For example,the evidence for right- hemisphere functions in second language acquisition(SLA) is contra- dictory; yet, those functionsare an importantaspect of bimodality. Moreover,there have been few empirical studies supportingthe hy- pothesis. INTRODUCTION Since the efficacy of language teaching methodologycame under fire in the 1970's (Danesi, 1987) there has beena general lack of agreement among re- searchers on how a second language is best acquired.Perhaps this uncertainty is why a growing number of researchersare looking to neuroscience for an answer to the fundamental question of second language acquisition (SLA).In spite of the growing interest in neuroscience,however, only a few studies of SLA in classroom settings have takena neurolinguistic perspective. In par- ticular, few researchers have applied neurolinguisticdiscoveries to the devel- opment of concrete propositions that could guide secondlanguage teachers. A notable exception is Marcel Danesi, who has developedan educational con- struct for the classroom based on neurolinguistic principles.This construct is called bimodality. This article is a discussion of Danesi's bimodalityand its implications to classroom teaching practices. Asan introduction, however, the article first reviews a selection of studies in neuroscienceover the last fifteen years that seem to have particular relevance to SLA research and that helpdefine the possible role of neurolinguistics in languagepedagogy. Finally, the article takes a special look at Danesi's bimodalityconstruct and its issues. REVIEW OF NEUROLINGUISTIC ISSUES For the last two centuries, neurophysiologists havebelieved, according to clinical data on brain-damaged people, thateach hemisphere of the brain has distinct, specialized functions (Danesi,1987, 1990). It was known, for in 2 92Texas Papers in Foreign Language Education speech impairment known as apha- research in the 1960's and 1970's that sia. Moreover, in 1861, Pierre-Paul challengedthenotionofleft- Broca, in a case study of a patient hemisphere dominance. with a brain lesion, discovered a The following paragraphs connection between speech ability summarize some of the major re- and the lateral left frontal lobe of the search neurolinguistic issues in the brain. In 1874 Carl Wernicke found a literature since the 1980s, with par- site in the left hemisphere related to ticular attention given to those that speech comprehension. These ob- relate to the teaching and learning of servations gave credence to the idea a second language. These issues can that, for controlling language func- be categorized as follows: brain later- tions, the left hemisphere was supe- alization and the organization of rior to the right. More generally, the language functions, age and sex fac- left hemisphere was considered the tors, neuronal involvement in first major,or dominant, halfof the and second language acquisition, lat- brain, probably because society placed eralization versus modularity, and more value on the skillsit con- the critical period and lateralization. trolled, such as mathematics and grammar. The functions of the right Brain Lateralization and Organiza- hemisphere, meanwhile, were con- tion of Language Functions sidered less important. Then, in the A great deal of research has first half of the twentieth century, focused on brain lateralization and neuroscientific studies began to fo- the organization of language func- cus on what has come to be called tions. For example, intheir1981 the "localization" theory, that is, the study, Goldberg and Costa examined belief that specific mental functions evidence for neuroanatomicaldif- are controlled at specific locations in ferences of the cerebral hemispheres the brain. and their possible effects on cogni- More recentyearshave tive processing. They hypothesized shown, however,that the hemi- that the left hemisphere is superior spheres work cooperatively; that is, in using multiple descriptive sys- both sides of the brain are actively tems that are already available in the involved in higher cognitive proc- cognitive faculties, while the right essing. In the 1960s, for example, hemisphere plays an important role Roger Sperry and his associates (see in processing materials for which Danesi, 1990), after a series of ex- there are no pre-existing descriptive periments onsplit-brainpatients systems. According to this postula- (individualswhosebrainhemi- tion, control of the requisite cogni- spheres were separated by surgical tive functions shifts from the right section of the corpus callosum), pre- to the left hemisphere during proc- sented evidence that the activities of essing. Thus, different hemispheres the two hemispheres were comple- are involved in different stages of mentary and operated as a unit dur- cognitive processing, so that neither inghighercognitiveprocessing, hemisphere has exclusivecontrol most noticeably in language process- over particular cognitive tasks. ing. Their findings led to a spate of Neurolinguistics and SLA:Danesi's Bimodality 93 In the early 1970s, neuroscien- ever, general agreement thatthe tists started to discuss the possibility right hemisphere is important for of the involvementof the right processing word meaning. hemisphere in language, and in the Danesi concludes that there is early 1980s the notion that the RH no clear evidence thattheright plays an important role in process- hemisphere is involved in SLA in ing new stimuli became a workable any distinct manner and that cau- hypothesis (Danesi, 1994). Albert and tion must be exercised when formu- Obler observed in 1978 that language lating models of SLA based on right- organization is more bilateral in bi- hemisphere involvement at differ- lingual children than in monolin- ent acquisition stages and applying gual children, and that the RH is such modelsto second language crucial in SLA. Other researchers, teaching. such as Arbib, Caplan, and Marshall Furthermore,Paradis(1990) (1982) and Segalowitz (1983), con- argued that the right hemisphere cluded that the right hemisphere is might actually interfere with the ac- involved in the processing of pro- quisition of native-like proficiency, sodic, figurative language, and ver- since the greater the amount of pro- bal humor, while theleft hemi- ficiency achieved, the more asym- sphere is engaged in processing dis- metrical are the
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