Can language learning happen during sleep?

河北乐亭第一中学 胡金莹

睡眠在我们的生活中起着非常重要的作用。传统观念认为睡眠是人们养精蓄锐的阶段，人们在睡眠期间不会有任何思想动态。然而，一项新的研究表明人们在睡眠期间照样可以进行语言学习。

题材 语言学习 体裁 说明文文章词数298 难度 ★★★ 建议用时5′

海词积累

1.embed v.把……牢牢地嵌入

2.rhythm v.节奏；节律；韵律；规律

Sleeping hours are generally considered unproductive time. But several studies have suggested some learning activity can happen.They found that simple learning through sounds may be possible during sleep.

Much of the earlier research found that memories developed when people were awake were strengthened during sleep.This supported the idea that information learned while awake is replayed and deeply embedded in the sleeping brain.Therefore,if replay during sleep improves the storage of information that is learned while awake,the storage of new information can also be possible during sleep.

In order to prove their theory,researchers carried out experiments on a group of young German-speaking men and women. They observed individuals in a controlled environment during brief periods of sleep. They recorded brain activity as pairs of words were played for the study subjects.One word in the pair was a real German word.The other was a made-up foreign word.Each word pair was played four times,with the order of the words changed each time.The word pairs were played at a rhythm that is similar to actual brain activities during deep sleep.

The goal was to create a lasting memory link between the false word and the German word that individuals could identify when awake.When the subjects woke,they were presented with the false language words—both by sight and sound.They were then asked to guess whether the false word played during sleep represented an object smaller or larger than a shoebox.

This brain structure is very important for building relational memory during non-sleep periods.Memory was best for word pairs presented during slow-wave peaks during sleep.The study suggests that memory formation in sleep appears to be caused by the same brain structures that support vocabulary learning while awake.

Reading Check

1.What did the earlier research find?

A.Memories can be strengthened during sleep.

B.People can learn language in sleeping hours.

C.People's memories are better with enough sleep.

D.Nothing can be remembered when people sleep.

2.What's the purpose of the experiments on Germans?

A.To show the great changes of people's memories.

B.To prove Germans can learn language more quickly.

C.To understand how different brains work differently.

D.To confirm new information can be stored during sleep.

3.When do people have the best memory when they sleep?

A.Before they fall asleep.

B.During fast-wave peaks.

C.During slow-wave peaks.

D.When they almost wake up.

Language Study

Difficult Sentence

The study suggests that memory formation in sleep appears to be caused by the same brain structures that support vocabulary learning while awake.这项研究表明，睡眠期间记忆的形成似乎是由在醒着的时候支持词汇学习的相同的大脑结构引起的。

【点石成金】appear to do为固定结构，意为“似乎要做某事”。that support vocabulary learning while awake为定语从句，修饰先行词brain structures。本句中的suggest意为“表明”，故后面的宾语从句不用“（should）+动词原形”的虚拟语气形式。