Essentials: The Science of Learning & Speaking Languages | Dr. Eddie Chang

The gist

1. Speech and language are handled separately by the brain: speech is the physical act of making sound, while language covers meaning, grammar, and intent.
2. Stuttering is a motor coordination problem, not a language disorder, and is not caused by anxiety, though anxiety can make it worse.
3. A patient paralyzed for 15 years regained the ability to communicate using an implanted electrode array that translates brain signals into words via machine learning.
4. Hearing your own voice while speaking helps the brain monitor and correct output in real time, which is why disrupting that feedback worsens stuttering.