Some researchers from Northwestern University and the University of Haifa have found biological reasons for girls' better language abilities than boys'. Overall, girls tend to have more abstract and boys sensory language processing. Biologically speaking, "both areas of the brain associated with language work harder in girls than in boys during language tasks, and that boys and girls rely on different parts of the brain when performing these tasks." (Leopold 2008). Brain activity, in this particular research, was measured by the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Both gender groups were given visual and auditory tasks: "When visually presented, the children read certain words without hearing them. Presented in an auditory mode, they heard words aloud but did not see them." (Leopold 2008). In conclusion, language activation areas of the brain, were working more effectively in girls than in boys. This study might be quite helpful in teaching techniques in classroom. "Given boys’ sensory approach, boys might be more effectively evaluated on knowledge gained from lectures via oral tests and on knowledge gained by reading via written tests. For girls, whose language processing appears more abstract in approach, these different testing methods would appear unnecessary." (Leopold 2008)
ref:
- Leopold, W .(2008) Gender differences in language appear biological, available electronically at: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-03/nu-gdi030308.php, accessed 8/03/2008 12:05 pm
2008-03-08 @ 13:12