Medical expert of the article
New publications
Scientists: music appeared before the language
Last reviewed: 16.10.2021
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Academic theorists from the Universities of Rice and Maryland argue that, contrary to the popular belief that language and music are two cognitively separate concepts, music is at the heart of language ability.
"Spoken language is a special kind of music," says study co-author Anthony Brandt. - Usually language is considered as the fundamental basis for the human intellect, and music - for what has happened or is dependent on the language. But we have reason to assert that music appeared earlier, and it was from it that the language originated. Infants perceive the sounds of the language and only then begin to understand their meaning. "
Scientists note that the ability of newborn children in various aspects of speech perception depends on sound discrimination - the most pronounced aspects of speech.
The infant's brain is able to distinguish between phonemes and such signs of speech as the timbre and rhythm.
The authors of the study define music as a game with sound. Little children begin to hear sounds, they do not focus on the meaning of speech, like adults. For them, speech is a repetitive vocal performance. They listen attentively to the timbre of the voice, phonemic and rhythmic patterns, and the understanding of the meanings of the spoken words comes later.
Language and music develop in parallel. Initially, infants do not understand their native language well, but also all other languages of the world. The perception of the native language comes with time. This also applies to music: children do not distinguish musical genres and do not understand cultural features of musical works, during the first year of their life they gradually begin to comprehend the musical culture of the country where they live.
According to experts, if you want to teach a child a foreign language, then you can start by listening to the music of this country.
Scientists draw a parallel - the recognition of the sounds of different consonants is in the temporal lobe of the brain, as are the timbres of different instruments.
"You will not be able to notice the difference between the trumpet and the piano if your brain does not process the sounds heard, just as it will not be possible to recognize the difference in the pronunciation of different syllables and words," Brandt says. "Recognition of speech and music intersect."
From the point of view of music, speech is nothing more than a real concert of syllables and phonemes. Also perceives the conversation of adults and babies. This also explains the fact that a person with a language deficit has problems with processing the rhythm rhythm.
[