TTC Video – Language and the Mind

Research has shown that whether we’re sighted or blind, hearing or deaf, one or one hundred years old, communication through language is a fundamental part of what it means to be human.

In 24 fascinating lectures, Dr. Spencer Kelly, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Colgate University, reveals the astonishing dimensions of the human brain and cognitive development in relation to language. Did you know that language is probably not built into our brains at birth, but that we have some innate abilities that allow us to create linguistic minds-given the right environment-over the course of our lives? Or that universal aspects of language follow common developmental patterns, no matter where you are? Do you know the true extent of how radically language has transformed the human brain, and that the tools it gives us are unique to humans as a species? And, new discoveries are being made all the . Only recently, brain-imaging studies have demonstrated that, neurally, there is very little difference between signed languages and those that are spoken. These questions and observations are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to the human capacity for language and its effect on every aspect of our lives.

Language and the Mind is a fascinating journey into so many aspects of life we take for granted every day: our ability to remember the past and imagine a future, a healthy baby’s ability to learn its native language without direct teaching, our use of hand gestures and facial expressions in communication, and so much more. It’s a deep dive into the fascinating expents that have only recently been able to tease out an understanding of language and how we learn.