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Short Communication Volume 4 Issue 5
Why Native Albanian Speaker have an Easier Approach toward Acquisition of other Languages?
Genc Struga
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Department of Neuroscience, University Hospital, Albania
Correspondence: Genc Struga, Department of Neuroscience, University Hospital, Mother Teresa, Tirana, Albania
Received: March 28, 2016 | Published: April 20, 2016
Citation: Struga G (2016) Why Native Albanian Speaker have an Easier Approach toward Acquisition of other Languages? J Neurol Stroke 4(5): 00153. DOI: 10.15406/jnsk.2016.04.00153
Abstract
The Albanian native speaker’s have an easier approach toward acquisition of other languages. Studying Albanian language has a particular importance as it is been noticed that the idiom represent one of the oldest surviving members of the “Balkan” and Paleo-Balkan languages have each been proposed as the ancestor of modern Albanian. Particular words in Albanian language have a correlation of phenomena of action and sound knowing as phono-symbolism or phono-semantic. Another phenomena are compound words, in linguistic a compound is a lexeme that consist of more than one stem. Compounding or word-compounding refers to the faculty and device of language to form new words by combining or putting together old words. In other words, compound, compounding or word-compounding occurs when a person attaches two or more words together to make them one word.
Keywords:Albanian language, Speech processing, Phonosymbolisem, Phonosemantics, Neuroscience, Neurocomputational speech processing, Albanology, Linguistics
Introduction
The observation that Albanian natives have a special gift for acquisition of foreign languages, it is been long noticed.1
Human speech is a well-learned, sensorimotor, and ecological behavior ideal for the study of neural processes and brain-behavior relations. Using modern neuroimaging as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), Computational Neuroscience model and DES (Direct electrical stimulation) in awake patients undergoing brain surgery, the potential for investigating neural mechanisms of speech has increased.2
Studying Albanian language has a particular importance since it represents one of the oldest surviving members of the “Balkan” and Paleo-Balkan languages have each been proposed as the ancestor of modern Albanian as proto-Indo-European model which is widely accepted.
Certain characteristics of Albanian language, such as particular words that represent a correlation of phenomena of action and sound are particularly old and believed to be ancestors of proto-Albanian.
Other characteristics of Albanian language are small words and the capability to form compound word or new lexeme.
It has been noticed that many words in Albanian correlate with melody or sounds of a particular phenomena... instance ‘shi’ (rain) with the sound of falling rain, ‘bubullimë’ (thunderclap) with that sound, ‘ha’ (eat),’lumë’ (river), ’kap’ (capture), ’shtyp’ (press), ‘lidh’ (connect), ’ujë’ (water) and so on... recognised in terminology as phonosemantics and phonosymbolism. Howell considers his phono-semantics to be a type of phonosymbolism.3 Another phenomena are compound words, in linguistic a compound is a lexeme that consist of more than one stem. Compounding or Word- compounding refers to the faculty and device of language to form new words by combining or putting together old words. In other words, compound, compounding or word-compounding occurs when a person attaches two or more words together to make them one word.4,5
In the case of compound words demonstrates the dynamic and flexible mechanisms supporting lexical processing in the brain.
The study may indicate how the language affects an ethnic group particular thinking, brain processing of speech, plasticity and capabilities of further learning as it is acquisition of another language.
Method
Neurocomputational speech processing and computer simulation of speech production and perception using artificial neuronal network models or neuronal pathway is another approach to understanding how speech and in particular phonosemantics and lexeme are better absorbed or networked since the speech perception is multimodal, which means that it involves information from more than one sensory modality.
Quantitative neurocomputational modeling of speech processing are DIVA model and the ACT model- a improved and recent version of the traditional first.
The ACT quantitative neurocomputional model organized in neuronal maps which are in essence an assembly of model neurons, i.e. a phonemic, phonetic, motor plan, or sensory state. These maps are located in specific cortical regions.6
Using axonal DES (Direct electrical stimulation) in awake patients undergoing brain surgery is proposed a hodotopical (delocalized) and dynamic model in processing the language; this model contradict the traditional modular and serial view.7
In this networking model brain processing is not conceived as the sum of several subfunctions, but results from the integration and potentiation of parallel-though partially overlapping-subnetworks. This hodotopical account improves our understanding of neuroplasticity.8
Results
According to hodotopical model, following the visual input, the language network is organized in parallel, segregated (even if interconnected) large-scale cortico-subcortical sub-networks underlying semantic, phonological and syntactic processing.7 A similarity occurs when instead of picture, a sound and a meaning is correlated as input. In the case of meaningful small words, making other compound words are compatible with this dynamic model.
Following an input that correlates sound and meaning or a lexeme composed of small, meaningful words the most important neurofunctional principal the Hebbian learning, i.e. a synaptic link between two model neurons is strengthened if both neurons are activated during the same time interval is fulfilled.
Conclusion and discussion
Phonosymbolism, small words and forming compound lexemes characteristics of Albanian language makes the brain processing compatible with modern views of hodotopical dynamic speech processing.
Taking in consideration the tree of languages and Albanian as proto Indo-European although is considered as language branch unrelated to the other is incorrect and studies are undertaken to prove its fundamental role in other languages “sprachbund”.
The thesis of Rozycki that languages around the word choose that particular phonosymbolism presumably independently cannot justify itself, since it is proven that the language group called “Indo-European” are related at their origin.
A critical view is made of the Indo-European model of languages which did not take sufficient account of Albanian, the only living testimony of Pelasgic and the view of Albanians and Albanian language as the descendant of the most ancient population of Europe, the Pelasgians. This view is contested as myth by opposite the others.9
The view that Albanian native speakers have an easier approach toward acquisition of other languages, it might be related to the common origin or root of languages.
Acknowledgments
None.
Conflicts of interest
None.
References
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- Rapper G. Pelasgic Encounters in the Greek‒Albanian Borderland. Border Dynamics and Reversion to Ancient Past in Southern Albania. Anthropological Journal of European Cultures .2009:50‒56.
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