earticle

영어

This paper investigates the relationship between bi-/multi-lingual abilities and the human brain, comparing the behavioral results of previous experiments in language acquisition with those of recent ongoing brain studies. For discussion, previous researches about the influence of bilingualism on children's intelligence are reviewed, and recent studies concerning brain imaging through ERP, fMRI, MEG, etc. are introduced. Then, Fodor (1983)'s modules and Smith (2003)'s quasi-modules which were assumed to explain human cognitive abilities are examined, and further the validity of the critical period hypothesis is discussed. Based on the assumption, it analyzes Flynn (2009)'s argument which the multilingual brain is the natural state of the human brain. It is argued that the human capacity for language can be assumed to accommodate multiple languages when exposed to the languages before the critical period, and that multiple languages are represented in the brain much in the same way as single language is. Finally, it emphasizes that the study of human language and brain has to be activated in the field of neurolinguistics to investigate the correlation between the unique human capacities.