Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - Printable Version

+- kanji koohii FORUM (http://forum.koohii.com)
+-- Forum: Learning Japanese (http://forum.koohii.com/forum-4.html)
+--- Forum: The Japanese language (http://forum.koohii.com/forum-10.html)
+--- Thread: Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji (/thread-6013.html)

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - oregum - 2010-07-11

There have been a lot of posts by newbies about stories sticking, visualization, etc. Maybe this will help some people.

First go here:
http://www.moillusions.com/2007/06/spinning-sihouette-optical-illusion.html

This is an optical illusion that tests if you are right or left brained. If the girl appear to be spinning:
Counter Clockwise: left brain
Clockwise: right brain

Here is a video showing how she appears to spin in both directions. You can pause and scrub through the timeline, to see a frame by frame comparison that it is the same image in both.

What does this imply about you and the best way for you to remember stories.
Left Brain: Literal - focus on wording your stories
Right Brain: Visual - focus on visualizing your stories

With some practice you can make the girl spin in either direction. Personally, I'm very highly right brained, it took me about 20 minutes to get her to spin counter clockwise. This also explains why an image works better than a story for me.

Tips for right brained people:
http://www.sil.org/LinguaLinks/languagelearning/OtherResources/YorLrnngStylAndLnggLrnng/TipsForRightBrainLearners.htm

Tips for left brained people:
http://www.sil.org/LinguaLinks/languagelearning/OtherResources/YorLrnngStylAndLnggLrnng/TipsForLeftBrainLearners.htm

Share your experience. I'd love to hear what others think.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - wccrawford - 2010-07-11

You got it backwards. The right brain people need the images. Left brainers need the words. Your links even confirm this.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - sikieiki - 2010-07-11

This is painful after I have figured out how to make her change directions at will and have her mentally instantly changing directions every few turns.

Its hard to stop yourself from thinking about inertia

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - ta12121 - 2010-07-11

sikieiki Wrote:This is painful after I have figured out how to make her change directions at will and have her mentally instantly changing directions every few turns.

Its hard to stop yourself from thinking about inertia

definitely does

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - oregum - 2010-07-11

I fixed the L/R mistake

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - Burritolingus - 2010-07-11

Interesting! I have a hard time seeing it clockwise, though the Youtube video definitely helped.

I've never really considered a left/right brain approach to language learning, but after reading through those two pages of tips, I'm thinking there may just be something to it as I identify strongly with all of the tips for left-brain learners. Pretty uncanny, really.

I'm curious what the more neurologically educated folks around these here parts think about this.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - Mcjon01 - 2010-07-11

sikieiki Wrote:This is painful after I have figured out how to make her change directions at will and have her mentally instantly changing directions every few turns.

Its hard to stop yourself from thinking about inertia

Urg. I remember this thing. I played with it too much, and ended up seeing her leg just waving back and forth in the air while her head violently rotated in circles. Disorienting.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - oregum - 2010-07-11

Burritolingus Wrote:I've never really considered a left/right brain approach to language learning, but after reading through those two pages of tips, I'm thinking there may just be something to it as I identify strongly with all of the tips for left-brain learners. Pretty uncanny, really.

I never gave it much thought either. I just knew that I needed to visualize or contextualize everything. It's nice to finally put my finger on why.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - kazelee - 2010-07-11

lol. In less than a minute I got her to twirl back and forth. I dominate my own mind. ムフハハハ

Does this really test hemispherical dominance?

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - Grinkers - 2010-07-11

The lady was twirling back and forth from the instant I saw it, does that make me weird? I have trouble getting her to stay in one direction for more than a few rotations.

I declare I'm front brain!

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - oregum - 2010-07-11

Most people are dominant with one side of their brain. Few people are neither/both. The spinning girl test is a good approximation of which hemisphere you are dominant with.

There is some research that demonstrates a positive correlation handedness to language acquisition. Other research that states that ambidexterity makes it more difficult to learn languages. I'm ambidextrous, but that's not here or there.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - kazelee - 2010-07-11

oregum Wrote:There is some research that demonstrates a positive correlation handedness to language acquisition. Other research that states that ambidexterity makes it more difficult to learn languages.

Hah. If that's true then everyone has the one up on me. Curious how they came to such a strange conclusion.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - oregum - 2010-07-12

kazelee Wrote:If that's true then everyone has the one up on me. Curious how they came to such a strange conclusion.

I think you misunderstood. Handedness and hemispherical dominance is not the same thing. While its is true that most righties, use their left hemisphere to to control their right hand. This is not always the case.

I guess I shouldn't have threw in the handedness blurb, as it's a bit confusing. All it means is that being either left or right handed allows the brain to specialize in language. Whereas (many) ambidextrous people lack this specialization and have a harder time learning languages.

As long as you are either left or right handed, being able to see the girl spin in either direction is believed to positive because you can employee a combination of L+R hemispheres to help you learn things.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - Grinkers - 2010-07-12

oregum Wrote:As long as you are either left or right handed, being able to see the girl spin in either direction is believed to positive because you can employee a combination of L+R hemispheres to help you learn things.

I'm ambidextrous and have a hard time getting the girl to spin in one direction consistently, but I learned Japanese very fast. Does that research say if it's your primary or secondary language? Maybe my brain is just messed up. I couldn't even speak or crawl as a baby/toddler.

I've always wondered what it meant, but I don't seem to have any problems after becoming an adult, so I never looked into it.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - Codexus - 2010-07-12

Oh, come on. I expect better from people on this forum than to perpetuate that kind of pseudo-scientific nonsense. What's next? Learning tips based on your blood type?

There is no such thing as being left or right brained. This is myth that is based on misunderstanding early brain research. And why people would think that the spinning figure illusion has anything to do with it?

By the way, is there a part of the brain that makes you believe random BS from the internet?

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - wccrawford - 2010-07-12

Codexus Wrote:Oh, come on. I expect better from people on this forum than to perpetuate that kind of pseudo-scientific nonsense. What's next? Learning tips based on your blood type?

There is no such thing as being left or right brained. This is myth that is based on misunderstanding early brain research. And why people would think that the spinning figure illusion has anything to do with it?

By the way, is there a part of the brain that makes you believe random BS from the internet?

No more than one that makes people disbelieve things just because they don't want to believe them.

Seriously, if you don't have -proof-, don't go throwing around insults.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - Evil_Dragon - 2010-07-12

Codexus Wrote:Oh, come on. I expect better from people on this forum than to perpetuate that kind of pseudo-scientific nonsense. What's next? Learning tips based on your blood type?

People told me I need to eat more meat because apparently 0-types should base their diet on meat. Man am I glad I'm not a vegetarian.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - Mcjon01 - 2010-07-12

Codexus Wrote:By the way, is there a part of the brain that makes you believe random BS from the internet?

Yes, it's the same part that's responsible for religion.

[Image: zx0lc.jpg]

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - bladethecoder - 2010-07-12

I'm definitely "left brain" if such a thing really exists, but the girl spins clockwise, and I have found it helpful to visualise RTK stories.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - kazelee - 2010-07-12

oregum Wrote:I guess I shouldn't have threw in the handedness blurb, as it's a bit confusing. All it means is that being either left or right handed allows the brain to specialize in language. Whereas (many) ambidextrous people lack this specialization and have a harder time learning languages

Now does that go for true ambidextrous (if it exists) or moderate ambidextrous? Because I have a mouse in my left hand and stylus in my right.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - TheVinster - 2010-07-12

kazelee Wrote:
oregum Wrote:I guess I shouldn't have threw in the handedness blurb, as it's a bit confusing. All it means is that being either left or right handed allows the brain to specialize in language. Whereas (many) ambidextrous people lack this specialization and have a harder time learning languages
Now does that go for true ambidextrous (if it exists) or moderate ambidextrous? Because I have a mouse in my left hand and stylus in my right.

I have a mouse in my right hand and a pencil in my left. We're basically like a complete puzzle. So I was wondering if you want to go to Olive Garden this Friday.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - oregum - 2010-07-12

kazelee Wrote:Now does that go for true ambidextrous (if it exists) or moderate ambidextrous? Because I have a mouse in my left hand and stylus in my right.

Not sure. But based on what Grinkers and others said, everyone is different. Grinkers' ambidexterity may have helped him learn Japanese, whereas I feel it has always made learning more difficult.

If I had to guess, I'm the kind of ambidextrous that sucked at writing (and everything else) with both hands until I practiced a lot. My parents thought I was left handed an encouraged me to do everything with my left hand, but over the years I shifted virtually all activities to my right hand. The only things I don't do with my right arm is throw fast balls or cut things (even though I can throw pretty well with both arms). Btw, I use a mouse with my right, and a tablet with my left.

@Codexus. What do you think I am talking about? Do a search on google for 'brain lateralization and language (in humans)'. In fact, if you have access to a scientific/medical/journal database try there instead. Here is a video:

I'm talking about playing to ones strengths as a visual/creative vs. logical/literal individual, not being physically hard wired for one or the other.

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - Codexus - 2010-07-12

Here are some interesting blog posts I found on the subject. The authors seem to know what they are talking about, but I didn't spend much time looking into it.

http://www.theness.com/neurologicablog/?p=27
http://www.spring.org.uk/2008/03/two-brains-for-price-of-one.php

Left vs Right Brain & Learning Kanji - arch9443 - 2010-07-12

I seem to be able to switch her direction once fairly easily but can't do it again. However everytime I tab away for a bit and look bit she has a tendency to flip around usually to counter-clockwise even though the first time I looked at her she was spinning clockwise...

面白い