Saturday, August 12, 2006
NOVEL ARABIC ENVIRON AND LEARNING 8/12/06
I found a free and legal program that teaches arabic words over at http://www.download.net. Every day I practice some simple words with the use of computerized flashcards and speech tools. Arabic writing looks very different from English. Spoken Arabic also challenges my brain cells because the simple words possess combinations of sounds which I am not familiar with at all.
English is my native language and I have been exposed to bits of Italian and Polish through relatives. I studied French and Spanish in school. I also know enough Ameslan to get by in a room of non-hearing people playing 30-up. But Arabic-- very different for me. Because it is so different, I am forced to pay attention. The engagement of my SN/VTA stimulates me to explore. Exploration can indeed be its own reward.
~sapphoq
excerpt below taken from: http://www.news-medical.net/?id=19196
Novel environment sparks exploration and learning
Medical Research News
Published: Wednesday, 2-Aug-2006
Neurobiologists have known that a novel environment sparks exploration and learning, but very little is known about whether the brain really prefers novelty as such.
Rather, the major 'novelty center' of the brain - called the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA) - might be activated by the unexpectedness of a stimulus, the emotional arousal it causes, or the need to respond behaviorally.
The SN/VTA exerts a major influence on learning because it is functionally linked to both the hippocampus, which is the brain's learning center, and the amygdala, the center for processing emotional information.
Now, researchers Nico Bunzeck and Emrah Dzel report studies with humans showing that the SN/VTA does respond to novelty as such and this novelty motivates the brain to explore, seeking a reward. The researchers of University College London and Otto von Guericke University reported their findings in the August 3, 2006, issue of Neuron, published by Cell Press.
goto http://www.news-medical.net/?id=19196 for the full article. ¶ 2:55 PM
English is my native language and I have been exposed to bits of Italian and Polish through relatives. I studied French and Spanish in school. I also know enough Ameslan to get by in a room of non-hearing people playing 30-up. But Arabic-- very different for me. Because it is so different, I am forced to pay attention. The engagement of my SN/VTA stimulates me to explore. Exploration can indeed be its own reward.
~sapphoq
excerpt below taken from: http://www.news-medical.net/?id=19196
Novel environment sparks exploration and learning
Medical Research News
Published: Wednesday, 2-Aug-2006
Neurobiologists have known that a novel environment sparks exploration and learning, but very little is known about whether the brain really prefers novelty as such.
Rather, the major 'novelty center' of the brain - called the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA) - might be activated by the unexpectedness of a stimulus, the emotional arousal it causes, or the need to respond behaviorally.
The SN/VTA exerts a major influence on learning because it is functionally linked to both the hippocampus, which is the brain's learning center, and the amygdala, the center for processing emotional information.
Now, researchers Nico Bunzeck and Emrah Dzel report studies with humans showing that the SN/VTA does respond to novelty as such and this novelty motivates the brain to explore, seeking a reward. The researchers of University College London and Otto von Guericke University reported their findings in the August 3, 2006, issue of Neuron, published by Cell Press.
goto http://www.news-medical.net/?id=19196 for the full article. ¶ 2:55 PM
