What Whistled Speech Tells Us About How the Brain Interprets Language

Whistle languages are complex communication systems found globally, often in remote areas. They adapt local spoken languages into whistles, allowing communication over long distances. These languages challenge traditional views of brain processing, as they engage both hemispheres, unlike spoken languages which are left-brain dominant. Studies, such as those on Sealbow and Turkish whistle languages, reveal that whistle languages use musical cues, affecting how the brain processes them. This suggests language comprehension is more complex than previously thought, involving diverse cues and brain regions.

What is a key feature of whistle languages that makes them effective for long-distance communication?

• They are spoken faster than regular speech.

• They have a high pitch and volume.

• They are louder than regular speech.

• They use more complex vocabulary.

How do whistle languages typically relate to local spoken languages?

• They are more complex than local languages.

• They are adaptations of the local spoken language.

• They are simplified versions of local languages.

• They are completely different and unrelated.

Which two regions have whistle languages that have been studied in depth?

• Amazon Rainforest, Brazil and the Sahara Desert, Africa

• Himalayas, Nepal and the Alps, Switzerland

• Canary Islands, Spain and the mountains of Turkey

• Oaxaca, Mexico and the Andes, Peru

What technique was used in the 2015 experiment to study language comprehension in whistle speakers?

• Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS)

• Dichotic Listening

• Electroencephalography (EEG)

• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

What was a significant finding from the dichotic listening experiment regarding whistle languages?

• Whistle languages are processed only in the right hemisphere.

• Whistle languages engage both hemispheres equally.

• Whistle languages are processed only in the left hemisphere.

• Whistle languages are not processed in the brain.

Why might whistle languages require both hemispheres of the brain for processing?

• They are spoken faster than regular speech.

• They use musical cues like pitch and melody.

• They are more emotionally expressive.

• They involve complex vocabulary.

What does the study of whistle languages suggest about language comprehension?

• It is not influenced by cultural factors.

• It is more complex than previously thought.

• It involves only the auditory cortex.

• It is strictly a left-brain activity.