揭秘學不好外語的真正原因：原來不是不努力

People who struggle to learn foreign languages may simply have brains that are not wired to retain linguistic skills, a new study suggests.

　　最新研究表明，學外語比較吃力的人，可能僅僅是因為大腦機制之間缺乏連貫，難以保持語言技能。

　　Learning a second language is far easier for some adults than others because of innate differences in how the various parts of the brain "talk" to one another.

　　有些成年人學外語就是要比其他人容易得多，這是因為他們大腦各部分之間的「溝通」方式與其他人存在先天差異。

　　The difference is so striking that researchers can even predict who will succeed in language skills, and who will fail, simply based on brain scans.

　　這種差異非常明顯，以致於研究人員只需通過腦部掃描，就能判斷誰適合學外語，誰不適合。

　　It is all to do with how well language centres of the brain communicate when resting. Most learning occurs when the brain is at rest, which is why sleep is so important.

　　學得好壞取決於大腦在休息時，各個語言中心之間的交流效率如何。大多數的學習會在大腦放鬆時進行，這也是為什麼睡眠如此重要。

　　Scientists at McGill University in Canada found that if left anterior operculum and the left superior temporal gyrus communicate more with each other at rest, then language learning is easier.

　　加拿大麥吉爾大學的研究人員發現，在大腦處於休息的狀態下，左側額前回與左側顳葉上回之間的交流越多，語言學習就會越容易。

　　"These findings have implications for predicting language learning success and failure," said study author Dr Xiaoqian Chai.

　　「這些發現為預測語言學習的成敗提供了線索，」研究報告作者柴小千（音譯）博士說道。

　　For the study, researchers scanned the brains of 15 adult English speakers who were about to begin an intensive 12-week French course, and then tested their language abilities both before and after the course.

　　研究中，研究人員掃描了15名成年人的大腦，這些人都是以英語為母語者。這15人隨後參加了為期12周的法語課程集訓，研究人員還測試了他們參加語言課程前後的語言水平。

　　Participants with stronger connections between the left anterior operculum and an important region of the brain's language network called the left superior temporal gyrus showed greater improvement in the speaking test.

　　在這些參與者中，大腦左側額前回與控制語言學習的重要區域——左側顳葉上回之間的聯繫更頻繁的人，在語言測試中進步更大。

　　However, that doesn't mean success at a second language is entirely predetermined by the brain's wiring.

　　然而，這並不意味著外語學習的成功與否完全取決於大腦各部分之間的聯繫。

　　"The brain is very plastic, meaning that it can be shaped by learning and experience," added Dr Chai.

　　「大腦的可塑性十分強，會受到學習與實踐的影響，」柴博士補充說。

　　"The study is a first step to understanding individual differences in second language learning. In the long term it might help us to develop better methods for helping people to learn better."

　　「這項研究是我們了解個體差異對外語學習的影響的第一步。從長遠來看，它將會有助於我們尋找更合適的方法來幫助人們更好地學習語言。」
Dr Arturo Hernandez, a neuroscientist at the University of Houston who studies second-language learning and was not involved in the study, said: "The most interesting part of this finding is that the connectivity between the different areas was observed before learning."

　　休斯敦大學神經學家阿圖羅·赫爾南德斯博士也在研究外語學習，但沒有參與這項研究。他表示：「這項發現最有趣的地方在於，在學外語之前，大腦各部分之間就已建立起了相互的聯繫。」

　　"This shows that some individuals may have a particular neuronal activity pattern that may lend itself to better learning of a second language."

　　「這就表示，有些人可能擁有一個特別的神經活動模式，這個模式有助於學習外語。」

　　The research was published in the Journal of Neuroscience.

　　該研究發表於《神經科學雜誌》。