Introduction to the Neuroscience of Language explores the neural foundations of human language, offering students an interdisciplinary perspective at the intersection of psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience. This course provides a comprehensive overview of how the brain supports language functions such as speech perception and production, reading, writing, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics.
Students will be introduced to key theoretical models and experimental findings from neuroimaging, neuropsychology, electrophysiology (EEG/ERP), and brain stimulation techniques (e.g., TMS, tDCS). The course covers the organization of language-related brain regions, including classical areas like Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, as well as contemporary network-based models that emphasize connectivity and plasticity.
A central theme of the course is the investigation of how language is represented and processed in the brain across development, in typical and atypical populations, and across different languages. Special attention is given to language disorders such as aphasia, dyslexia, and language impairments associated with neurodegenerative diseases or brain injury.
By the end of the course, students will be able to critically evaluate neuroscience research on language, understand the methodologies used to study the brain-language relationship, and appreciate the implications of this research for clinical practice and cognitive theory.
- Teacher: Antonio Bova