TEDxRainier
Patricia Kuhl: The linguistic genius of babies
帕特里夏·库尔Patricia Kuhl：婴儿的天才语言能力
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在TEDxRainier，帕特里夏·库尔讲了有关婴儿学习不同语言的惊人发现，婴儿聆听围绕在他们身边的人类声音并对他们要知道的声音做统计。精巧的室内试验和脑部扫描呈现6周大的婴儿如何使用复杂的统计推理来感知世界。
Patricia Kuhl - Language
Patricia Kuhl studies how we learn language as babies, looking at the ways our brains form around language acquisition. Full bio
Patricia Kuhl studies how we learn language as babies, looking at the ways our brains form around language acquisition. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:15
I want you to take a look at this baby.
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我想让大家看看这个婴儿。
00:18
What you're drawn to are her eyes
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吸引大家关注的是她的眼睛
00:21
and the skin you love to touch.
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以及让人忍不住摸摸的皮肤。
00:24
But today I'm going to talk to you about something you can't see --
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但今天我要讲些你看不到的东西，
00:27
what's going on up in that little brain of hers.
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在她的小脑袋瓜里的东西。
00:31
The modern tools of neuroscience
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当代神经科学的研究工具
00:33
are demonstrating to us that what's going on up there
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展示出我们对婴儿脑袋里的东西
00:36
is nothing short of rocket science.
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知之甚少。
00:39
And what we're learning
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我们要知道的
00:41
is going to shed some light
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是让浪漫作家和诗人
00:43
on what the romantic writers and poets
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产生灵感
00:46
described as the "celestial openness"
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并称之为孩子心智的
00:49
of the child's mind.
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“非凡的通慧”
00:51
What we see here
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大家这儿看到的
00:53
is a mother in India,
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是印度的一位母亲，
00:55
and she's speaking Koro,
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她讲克罗语，
00:57
which is a newly discovered language.
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这是一种新发现的语言。
00:59
And she's talking to her baby.
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她对她的孩子说这种语言。
01:01
What this mother --
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这位母亲
01:03
and the 800 people who speak Koro in the world --
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和世界上说克罗语的800人
01:06
understands [is] that, to preserve this language,
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明白要保留这种语言，
01:09
they need to speak it to the babies.
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他们必须对婴儿说这种语言。
01:12
And therein lies a critical puzzle.
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在这里有个关键的问题。
01:15
Why is it that you can't preserve a language
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为什么要是对你和我，成年人说一种新语言
01:17
by speaking to you and I, to the adults?
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却不能保留它？
01:20
Well, it's got to do with your brain.
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这是和你的大脑有关。
01:23
What we see here
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这儿我们看到
01:25
is that language has a critical period for learning.
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有个学习语言的关键期。
01:28
The way to read this slide is to look at your age on the horizontal axis.
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读懂这幅图的方法是看你在横轴上的年龄。
01:31
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
01:34
And you'll see on the vertical
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你再对应看纵轴上
01:36
your skill at acquiring a second language.
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你悉得第二外语的能力。
01:38
Babies and children are geniuses
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婴儿和孩子是语言天才
01:40
until they turn seven,
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直到7岁
01:42
and then there's a systematic decline.
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然后语言系统会呈下降趋势。
01:45
After puberty, we fall off the map.
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青春期后，如图我们语言能力衰退。
01:47
No scientists dispute this curve,
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科学家们确信这曲线图的情况，
01:50
but laboratories all over the world
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但是全世界的实验室
01:52
are trying to figure out why it works this way.
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都试图查明这到底是怎么回事.
01:55
Work in my lab is focused
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在我实验室的工作主要是
01:57
on the first critical period in development --
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研究第一个关键期
01:59
and that is the period in which
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这个时期是关于
02:01
babies try to master which sounds are used in their language.
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婴儿试着掌握他们语言中的声音。
02:04
We think, by studying how the sounds are learned,
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我们认为通过研究这些被婴儿学会的声音，
02:07
we'll have a model for the rest of language,
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我们会给学习其他语言一个模式，
02:09
and perhaps for critical periods that may exist in childhood
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或许关键期也出现在孩童期
02:12
for social, emotional
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也为了研究社会，情感
02:14
and cognitive development.
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和认知发展。
02:16
So we've been studying the babies
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我们一直研究婴儿
02:18
using a technique that we're using all over the world
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使用的技巧，也是全世界使用的语言技巧
02:20
and the sounds of all languages.
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和所有语言的声音技巧。
02:22
The baby sits on a parent's lap,
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婴儿坐在父母的膝上，
02:24
and we train them to turn their heads when a sound changes --
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我们训练他们，当听到一个声音
02:26
like from "ah" to "ee."
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从“ah”到 “ee” 他们就转头。
02:28
If they do so at the appropriate time,
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如果他们一听到就转头，
02:30
the black box lights up
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黑盒子就会亮
02:32
and a panda bear pounds a drum.
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会出现一只敲鼓的熊猫。
02:34
A six-monther adores the task.
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六个月大的婴儿喜欢这个测试。
02:36
What have we learned?
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我们从中了解到什么呢？
02:38
Well, babies all over the world
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全世界的婴儿
02:40
are what I like to describe
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就如我所述的
02:42
as "citizens of the world."
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是世界公民；
02:44
They can discriminate all the sounds of all languages,
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他们能区分所有语言的所有声音
02:47
no matter what country we're testing and what language we're using,
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不管测试在哪一国，用哪种语言。
02:50
and that's remarkable because you and I can't do that.
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令人惊讶的是你我却做不到这点。
02:53
We're culture-bound listeners.
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我们是受制于文化局限的听众。
02:55
We can discriminate the sounds of our own language,
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我们只能区分我们自己语言的声音，
02:57
but not those of foreign languages.
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但分不清外语的那些声音。
02:59
So the question arises:
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所以问题随之产生，
03:01
when do those citizens of the world
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这些小小世界公民在什么时候
03:03
turn into the language-bound listeners that we are?
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变成受制于文化局限的听众？
03:06
And the answer: before their first birthdays.
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答案是：一岁之前
03:09
What you see here is performance on that head-turn task
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这里看到的是扭转头测试效果
03:12
for babies tested in Tokyo and the United States,
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用来测试日本东京
03:14
here in Seattle,
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和美国西雅图的婴儿，
03:16
as they listened to "ra" and "la" --
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让他们听ra和la的发音
03:18
sounds important to English, but not to Japanese.
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这两个发音在英文里很重要，在日语里却没有
03:21
So at six to eight months the babies are totally equivalent.
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对于6到8个月的婴儿，他们的测试结果完全相似
03:24
Two months later something incredible occurs.
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2个月之后便产生明显变化
03:27
The babies in the United States are getting a lot better,
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在美国的婴儿掌握这些发音比较好，
03:29
babies in Japan are getting a lot worse,
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在日本的婴儿却差很多
03:31
but both of those groups of babies
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但是这两组的婴儿
03:33
are preparing for exactly the language that they are going to learn.
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均蓄势待发地要学习语言。
03:36
So the question is: what's happening
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问题在于，在这个2个月的关键期
03:39
during this critical two-month period?
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发生了什么？
03:41
This is the critical period for sound development,
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在声音开发的这关键期
03:43
but what's going on up there?
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到底发生什么了？
03:45
So there are two things going on.
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主要是两件事。
03:47
The first is that the babies are listening intently to us,
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第一婴儿不断地专心听我们说话，
03:50
and they're taking statistics as they listen to us talk --
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并且做统计
03:53
they're taking statistics.
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他们统计这些声音。
03:55
So listen to two mothers speaking motherese --
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听听2位母亲说的亲情用语
03:58
the universal language we use when we talk to kids --
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这是我们对孩子说的通用语言妈妈语
04:01
first in English and then in Japanese.
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首先是英语，然后是日语。
04:04
(Video) English Mother: Ah, I love your big blue eyes --
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（视频）说英语的妈妈：啊，我多爱你大大的蓝眼睛
04:07
so pretty and nice.
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这么漂亮，这么好看。
04:11
Japanese Mother: [Japanese]
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说日语的妈妈：[日语]
04:17
Patricia Kuhl: During the production of speech,
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帕特里夏·库尔：在语言生成的期间，
04:19
when babies listen,
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当婴儿聆听时，
04:21
what they're doing is taking statistics
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他们同时也在统计
04:23
on the language that they hear.
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他们听到的语言。
04:26
And those distributions grow.
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区分这些声音的能力在变强。
04:29
And what we've learned
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我们了解到的
04:31
is that babies are sensitive to the statistics,
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是婴儿对统计很敏感，
04:34
and the statistics of Japanese and English are very, very different.
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日语和英语的声音统计是非常，非常不同的。
04:37
English has a lot of Rs and Ls.
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英语有很多R和L音
04:40
The distribution shows.
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如分布图所示
04:42
And the distribution of Japanese is totally different,
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日语的分布图则是完全不同的
04:44
where we see a group of intermediate sounds,
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我们在这儿看到一组中间音，
04:47
which is known as the Japanese "R."
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它们是日语的R音。
04:50
So babies absorb
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婴儿吸收
04:52
the statistics of the language
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语言的统计数据
04:54
and it changes their brains;
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这改变了他们的大脑；
04:56
it changes them from the citizens of the world
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这就是把他们从世界公民
04:58
to the culture-bound listeners that we are.
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变成像我们一样受文化局限的听众。
05:01
But we as adults
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但我们成年人
05:03
are no longer absorbing those statistics.
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不再吸收这些统计。
05:05
We're governed by the representations in memory
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我们受我们早期形成的
05:08
that were formed early in development.
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记忆性语言的影响。
05:11
So what we're seeing here
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所以我们在这儿看到的
05:13
is changing our models of what the critical period is about.
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关键期是如何改变我们的语言模式。
05:16
We're arguing from a mathematical standpoint
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我们从数学角度争论
05:19
that the learning of language material may slow down
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学习语言材料的能力会放慢下来
05:22
when our distributions stabilize.
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当我们语言分布的能力趋于稳定时。
05:24
It's raising lots of questions about bilingual people.
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这也引出很多关于双语者的问题。
05:27
Bilinguals must keep two sets of statistics in mind at once
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双语者在脑中同时必须记住2组统计
05:31
and flip between them, one after the other,
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并能任意切换
05:34
depending on who they're speaking to.
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决定于他们与谁交流
05:36
So we asked ourselves,
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那么我们自问，
05:38
can the babies take statistics on a brand new language?
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婴儿能不能统计一种全新的语言？
05:41
And we tested this by exposing American babies
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我们测试了这个，通过给美国婴儿
05:43
who'd never heard a second language
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听他们从没听过的第二种语言
05:45
to Mandarin for the first time during the critical period.
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这是在关键期时他们第一次听到普通话。
05:48
We knew that, when monolinguals were tested
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我们得知，当我们让台北和西雅图的单语者
05:50
in Taipei and Seattle on the Mandarin sounds,
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接触普通话声音，
05:53
they showed the same pattern.
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他们显示同样的模式。
05:55
Six to eight months, they're totally equivalent.
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在6到8个月大时他们辨音能力几乎相同
05:57
Two months later, something incredible happens.
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2个月之后，一些不可思议的事情发生了。
06:00
But the Taiwanese babies are getting better, not the American babies.
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但这次台湾婴儿表现好，而不是美国的婴儿。
06:03
What we did was expose American babies during this period
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我们所做的是在这关键期让美国的婴儿
06:06
to Mandarin.
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多接触普通话。
06:08
It was like having Mandarin relatives come and visit for a month
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这就好像说普通话的亲戚来拜访了一个月
06:11
and move into your house
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住到你家
06:13
and talk to the babies for 12 sessions.
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和婴儿上了12节普通话课。
06:15
Here's what it looked like in the laboratory.
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在实验室它看起来就像这样。
06:17
(Video) Mandarin Speaker: [Mandarin]
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（视频）普通话说者：[普通话]
06:39
PK: So what have we done to their little brains?
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所以我们对他们的小脑袋瓜都做了什么？
06:41
(Laughter)
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（笑声）
06:44
We had to run a control group
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我们还得有一个对照组
06:46
to make sure that just coming into the laboratory
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确保来到实验室
06:48
didn't improve your Mandarin skills.
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并不能提高普通话的水平。
06:50
So a group of babies came in and listened to English.
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所以这组婴儿来这儿只听英语。
06:52
And we can see from the graph
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我们从这图表看出
06:54
that exposure to English didn't improve their Mandarin.
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在英语条件下的婴儿没有提高他们的汉语。
06:56
But look at what happened to the babies
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但看看上过12次普通话课的婴儿的身上
06:58
exposed to Mandarin for 12 sessions.
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都发生了什么。
07:00
They were as good as the babies in Taiwan
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他们和那些曾听普通话有
07:02
who'd been listening for 10-and-a-half months.
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10个半月大的台湾婴儿一样棒。
07:05
What it demonstrated
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这说明了
07:07
is that babies take statistics on a new language.
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婴儿对一种新语言也能做统计。
07:09
Whatever you put in front of them, they'll take statistics on.
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不管你在他们面前说了什么，他们就会统计这语言。
07:13
But we wondered what role
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我们也好奇
07:15
the human being played
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在这一学习过程中
07:17
in this learning exercise.
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人起了什么样的作用。
07:19
So we ran another group of babies
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所以我们设置了另一组婴儿
07:21
in which the kids got the same dosage, the same 12 sessions,
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让他们如法炮制地上12节课，
07:24
but over a television set
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但是在电视机前上课
07:26
and another group of babies who had just audio exposure
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和另一组婴儿只是通过音频上课
07:29
and looked at a teddy bear on the screen.
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看电视屏幕上的玩具熊。
07:31
What did we do to their brains?
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我们又对他们的脑袋瓜做什么了？
07:34
What you see here is the audio result --
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我们这儿看到的是音频结果
07:37
no learning whatsoever --
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没有任何学习效果
07:39
and the video result --
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视频结果
07:42
no learning whatsoever.
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也是没有任何学习效果。
07:44
It takes a human being
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只有人才能
07:46
for babies to take their statistics.
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帮助婴儿统计他们的声音数据。
07:48
The social brain is controlling
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当婴儿在统计时
07:50
when the babies are taking their statistics.
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社会大脑在控制着。
07:52
We want to get inside the brain
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我们想了解大脑内部
07:54
and see this thing happening
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观察各种变化
07:56
as babies are in front of televisions,
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探究电视前的婴儿
07:58
as opposed to in front of human beings.
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和与人在一起的婴儿有何不同
08:00
Thankfully, we have a new machine,
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多亏我们有了这台新机器，
08:02
magnetoencephalography,
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脑磁图显示机，
08:04
that allows us to do this.
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它可以让我们做到这个。
08:06
It looks like a hair dryer from Mars.
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它看上去就像来自火星的吹风机。
08:08
But it's completely safe,
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但它是完全安全的，
08:10
completely non-invasive and silent.
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完全对人无害，而且是静音的。
08:13
We're looking at millimeter accuracy
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我们的要求是
08:15
with regard to spatial
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在空间上精确到毫米
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and millisecond accuracy
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时间上精确到毫秒
08:19
using 306 SQUIDs --
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使用306 SQUIDs
08:21
these are Superconducting
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即是超导
08:23
QUantum Interference Devices --
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量子干涉磁量仪
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to pick up the magnetic fields
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用来检测
08:27
that change as we do our thinking.
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我们大脑变化的磁场。
08:29
We're the first in the world
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我们是世界上第一个
08:31
to record babies
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记录婴儿
08:33
in an MEG machine
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在脑磁图显示机下的
08:35
while they are learning.
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学习的脑图。
08:37
So this is little Emma.
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所以这是小爱玛
08:39
She's a six-monther.
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她有6个月大。
08:41
And she's listening to various languages
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她正通过耳机
08:43
in the earphones that are in her ears.
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聆听多种语言
08:46
You can see, she can move around.
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大家可以看到，她可以移动。
08:48
We're tracking her head
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我们用她帽子上的小球
08:50
with little pellets in a cap,
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来记录她的脑图
08:52
so she's free to move completely unconstrained.
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所以她完全不受束缚地自由地移动。
08:55
It's a technical tour de force.
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这是一个技术上的杰作。
08:57
What are we seeing?
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我看到什么了？
08:59
We're seeing the baby brain.
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我们看到婴儿的大脑。
09:01
As the baby hears a word in her language
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当婴儿听到语言中的一个词
09:04
the auditory areas light up,
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大脑中听觉区域亮起来，
09:06
and then subsequently areas surrounding it
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然后在它周围的其它区域也亮起来
09:08
that we think are related to coherence,
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我们认为这是有关联贯性的
09:11
getting the brain coordinated with its different areas,
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让大脑和其他不同脑区域相协调，
09:13
and causality,
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一前一后，
09:15
one brain area causing another to activate.
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一片脑区域激活另一片脑区域。
09:18
We are embarking
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我们开启了
09:20
on a grand and golden age
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一个开发儿童大脑知识的
09:23
of knowledge about child's brain development.
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宏伟的黄金年代。
09:26
We're going to be able to see a child's brain
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我们能够观察他们的大脑
09:28
as they experience an emotion,
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当儿童体验到感情，
09:30
as they learn to speak and read,
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学着说和读，
09:32
as they solve a math problem,
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解决一个数学问题，
09:34
as they have an idea.
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或当他们有个想法的时候
09:36
And we're going to be able to invent brain-based interventions
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我们也能为学习有障碍的孩童
09:39
for children who have difficulty learning.
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发明基于脑的治疗方法。
09:42
Just as the poets and writers described,
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正如诗人和作家所描述的，
09:45
we're going to be able to see, I think,
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我想我们能够看到
09:47
that wondrous openness,
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一种奇妙的融通开放，
09:49
utter and complete openness,
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一个孩子心智的
09:51
of the mind of a child.
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完全开放
09:54
In investigating the child's brain,
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在对儿童大脑的研究中，
09:56
we're going to uncover deep truths
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我们会深刻揭示
09:58
about what it means to be human,
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这对人类来说意味着什么的事实，
10:00
and in the process,
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在这一过程中，
10:02
we may be able to help keep our own minds open to learning
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我们或许能帮助我们自身开放心智
10:04
for our entire lives.
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在我们一生中不断地学习。
10:06
Thank you.
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谢谢。
10:08
(Applause)
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（掌声）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Patricia Kuhl - LanguagePatricia Kuhl studies how we learn language as babies, looking at the ways our brains form around language acquisition.
Why you should listen
Patricia Kuhl is co-director of the Institute for Brain and Learning Sciences at the University of Washington. She's internationally recognized for her research on early language and brain development, and studies that show how young children learn. Kuhl’s work has played a major role in demonstrating how early exposure to language alters the brain. It has implications for critical periods in development, for bilingual education and reading readiness, for developmental disabilities involving language, and for research on computer understanding of speech.
Patricia Kuhl | Speaker | TED.com