language "locations" in the brain

[George Elgin, Suzette Haden Elgin]

A number of you have responded very helpfully to my query about whether or
not consciousness might be different in monolinguals versus
bi/multilinguals. I want to thank you, and to assure you that I was not
being deliberately obscure; rather, I was trying to keep my query broad
enough (vague enough, if you like) so that it would not exclude anyone on
terminological grounds alone. I will try now to clarify matters, very
briefly, and will again appreciate your comments.

In the course of research on multilingualism, I have been investigating the
phenomenon whereby some mlinguals have a perception that they are "a
different person" when using one or more of their languages than the person
they are when using others. (I myself fall into that group, by the way.)
Responses to a question about whether they have that perception split in a
fashion that I find interesting; either they say "Of course! Why would you
need to ask?" or they say "Of course not! What a stupid question!" There
doesn't seem to be any middle ground.

Add to this two other scraps of information. (1) That psychoanalysts offer
a good deal of evidence for the "separate personality" in mlinguals (with
the obvious caveat that they're referring to individuals with problems
severe enough to require therapy) and (2) the recent research (see Nature,
7/10/97) indicating that second or nth languages acquired after puberty
appear to establish separate Broca's area storage in the brain, while those
acquired in early childhood do not do so.

It's an intriguing mix, and I'm searching for additional ideas and data
that may point me in the proper direction -- including, of course, the
conclusion that none of it fits together other than coincidentally.

Thank you for your help.

Suzette Haden Elgin
ocls at ipa.net