Lateralization of language: Toward a biologically based model of language

If the biological basis of language is to provide insight for linguistic theory, description of the aspects of language that play a role in the determination of language lateralization is essential. This article will summarize what is known about the distribution of language across the hemispheres using information from the Wada procedure and comparing those results with those from investigations using newer less invasive methods like fMRI This article will also describe what is known about the limits of language in the isolated right hemisphere when acquired during normal language development. The profile of language in the isolated right hemisphere may qualify as one model of an evolutionarily older protolanguage. Questions posed in both of these areas provide a rich opportunity for interaction between linguists, psycholinguists, and neuropsychologists.