Title: How experience shapes the neural systems supporting language and reading development
Abstract: What are the neurobiological/genetic systems that support the development of language and literacy? How, when, and why can the environment change these systems? Using the latest tools of cognitive science, including fNIRS and s/fMRI neuroimaging, genetics, and behavioural studies, we can track the development of neural systems that make possible our species’ capacity for language, and in turn, reading. However, differences in the child’s early environment can change these neural systems. This talk highlights the intricate connections between biology and environment during development, including (1) the impact of specific genes on the structural and functional development of the brain, and (2) the impact of childhood experiences (e.g., bilingualism, exposure to poverty and adversity, variable educational quality) on how the developing brain discovers language and learns to read. Together, these complementary research areas provide new insights into the organization and development of the linguistic brain.
See more on Dr. Jasińska’s work.
