The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has now launched a cutting-edge Language and Cognition Lab, which would be dedicated to exploring India’s rich linguistic diversity through the use of scientific research.
India, which is home to more than 1,600 languages and dialects, also offers a unique opportunity to study the relation between language, culture, and the human brain.
This lab also aims to bridge gaps that are present between linguistics, psychology, and even neuroscience by understanding how Indian languages are being processed, learned, and are also preserved.
The lab’s key projects also include studying aspects like multilingualism, bilingual brain functions, and even the key to cognitive development in children who have been exposed to multiple languages.
By using various kinds of modern tools like those as neuroimaging and even computational models, researchers also plan to map how different languages are now represented in the brain and how the language influences the thought patterns of humans.
The initiative also helps to intends to examine the language disorders, even aiding in early diagnosis of conditions like the ones being dyslexia and aphasia in the Indian languages.
One of the primary focuses is on underrepresented Indian languages, thus ensuring that their linguistic structures and even the cultural legacies are valued, documented and studied.
The research outcomes can also help to support educational practices by helping design language learning programs which have been rooted in cognitive science insights.
Additionally, the lab is also expected to collaborate with other institutions and also enhance the use of AI and machine learning tools to build language technology, such as the ones being speech recognition systems tailored for Indian dialects.
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