From: der Mouse <mouse@Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA>
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Date: Fri, 22 Jun 2007 15:46:08 -0400 (EDT)
To: lojban-beginners@lojban.org
Subject: [lojban-beginners] Re: lojban-beginners Digest V6 #110
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>> The problem is not just one of "habit and training".  The problem is
>> that the brain actually loses the ability to distinguish between
>> phonemes that are not consequential in their language.

Surely this is not so much totally losing that ability as it is just
losing the ability to make linguistically important parsing decisions
based on it without conscious attention?

Otherwise I'm a very odd person.  For example, the difference between
French "joue" (cheek) and "jus" (juice) is a property of the vowel, one
that is not semantically relevant in the only language I grew up with
(English).

But, as with many other sonic differences that are not significant in
English, I can hear this difference (though I have trouble perceiving
it in connected speech unless I am specifically listening for it.)  I'm
also not much good at producing it, but, again, I can if I consciously
make a point of it.

>> tests with PET scans of native Japanese speakers vs. German and
>> English speakers have shown that hearing of the sounds [l] and [r]
>> are processed in two different parts of German and English speakers'
>> brains, but only in a single place in a Japanese speaker's brains.

I hadn't heard that; it's very interesting.  Do you have a citation?
I'd like to learn more - that kind of stuff fascinates me.

> [...] may indicate that synaptic connections are rebuilt (even with
> adults) after some weeks of training. Is this possible/plausible?

The plasticity of the human brain/mind is often far underrated. :)

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