“Simbiosi di lingue, culture e sensibilità negli Stati Uniti: il fenomeno dello Spanglish”

In questo studio cerchiamo di riflettere sullo stato della lingua inglese e spagnola in contatto negli Stati Uniti d’America, e sul fenomeno che nasce da questo incontro, ovvero ciò che popolarmente si definisce spanglish. Il mondo latino e l’anglosassone sono differenti per sensibilità, cultura e lingua. Vivono in modo diverso, reagiscono in modo differente a determinate situazioni. Tuttavia, la complessità della condizione plurale di questi latinos quando si manifesta negli Stati Uniti d’America potrebbe dare vita a esperienze affascinanti, frutto di queste due realtà, di questo vivere in-between. Crediamo che in un mondo sempre più globalizzato sia di grande interesse osservare l’uso di strategie verbali che mettano in comunicazione i parlanti, ovvero i numerosi latinos che vivono oggi nel territorio statunitense, dove lo spanglish è diventato per molti un efficace mezzo di comunicazione in ambiti informali, che permette di esprimere una identità in-between e, al tempo stesso, una identità linguistica

Overt orienting of spatial attention and corticospinal excitability during action observation are unrelated

Observing moving body parts can automatically activate topographically corresponding motor representations in the primary motor cortex (M1), the so-called direct matching. Novel neurophysiological findings from social contexts are nonetheless proving that this process is not automatic as previously thought. The motor system can flexibly shift from imitative to incongruent motor preparation, when requested by a social gesture. In the present study we aim to bring an increase in the literature by assessing whether and how diverting overt spatial attention might affect motor preparation in contexts requiring interactive responses from the onlooker. Experiment 1 shows that overt attention-although anchored to an observed biological movement-can be captured by a target object as soon as a social request for it becomes evident. Experiment 2 reveals that the appearance of a short-lasting red dot in the contralateral space can divert attention from the target, but not from the biological movement. Nevertheless, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over M1 combined with electromyography (EMG) recordings (Experiment 3) indicates that attentional interference reduces corticospinal excitability related to the observed movement, but not motor preparation for a complementary action on the target. This work provides evidence that social motor preparation is impermeable to attentional interference and that a double dissociation is present between overt orienting of spatial attention and neurophysiological markers of action observation

Reach-To-Grasp Movements: A Multimodal Techniques Study

The aim of the present study was to investigate the correlation between corticospinal activity, kinematics, and electromyography (EMG) associated with the execution of precision and whole-hand grasps (WHGs). To this end, motor-evoked potentials (MEPs) induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), EMG, and 3-D motion capture data have been simultaneously recorded during the planning and the execution of prehensile actions toward either a small or a large object. Differences in the considered measures were expected to distinguish between the two types of grasping actions both in terms of action preparation and execution. The results indicate that the index finger (FDI) and the little finger (ADM) muscles showed different activation patterns during grasping execution, but only the FDI appeared to distinguish between the two types of actions during motor preparation. Kinematics analysis showed that precision grips differed from WHGs in terms of displayed fingers distance when shaping before object\u2019s contact, and in terms of timing and velocity patterns. Moreover, significant correlations suggest a relationship between the muscular activation and the temporal aspects concerned with the index finger\u2019s extension during whole-hand actions. Overall, the present data seem to suggest a crucial role played by index finger as an early \u201cmarker\u201d of differential motor preparation for different types of grasps and as a \u201cnavigator\u201d in guiding whole-hand prehensile actions. Aside from the novelty of the methodological approach characterizing the present study, the data provide new insights regarding the level of crosstalk among different levels concerned with the neuro-behavioral organization of reach-to-grasp movements

Look at Me: Early Gaze Engagement Enhances Corticospinal Excitability During Action Observation

Direct gaze is a powerful social cue able to capture the onlooker's attention. Beside gaze, head and limb movements as well can provide relevant sources of information for social interaction. This study investigated the joint role of direct gaze and hand gestures on onlookers corticospinal excitability (CE). In two experiments we manipulated the temporal and spatial aspects of observed gaze and hand behavior to assess their role in affecting motor preparation. To do this, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on the primary motor cortex (M1) coupled with electromyography (EMG) recording was used in two experiments. In the crucial manipulation, we showed to participants four video clips of an actor who initially displayed eye contact while starting a social request gesture, and then completed the action while directing his gaze toward a salient object for the interaction. This way, the observed gaze potentially expressed the intention to interact. Eye tracking data confirmed that gaze manipulation was effective in drawing observers' attention to the actor's hand gesture. In the attempt to reveal possible time-locked modulations, we tracked CE at the onset and offset of the request gesture. Neurophysiological results showed an early CE modulation when the actor was about to start the request gesture looking straight to the participants, compared to when his gaze was averted from the gesture. This effect was time-locked to the kinematics of the actor's arm movement. Overall, data from the two experiments seem to indicate that the joint contribution of direct gaze and precocious kinematic information, gained while a request gesture is on the verge of beginning, increases the subjective experience of involvement and allows observers to prepare for an appropriate social interaction. On the contrary, the separation of gaze cues and body kinematics can have adverse effects on social motor preparation. CE is highly susceptible to biological cues, such as averted gaze, which is able to automatically capture and divert observer's attention. This point to the existence of heuristics based on early action and gaze cues that would allow observers to interact appropriately

\u201cYo quer\ueda cruzar la l\uednea...\u201d Migrazione, frontiera e identit\ue0. I latinos negli Stati Uniti

I latinos negli Stati Uniti sono una realta\u300 storica, culturale e sociale diversa rispetto a quella di altre minoranze. In questo studio presentiamo alcune riflessioni sulla vita dei latinos negli Stati Uniti, sulla difficile migrazione verso il paese anglosassone, i problemi legati alla frontiera, all\u2019identita\u300 duale di coloro che vivono a cavallo fra due mondi, alla lingua

Un recuerdo de Alfredo Ardila

Ardila fue un reconocido neuropsicólogo, escritor, profesor y académico correspondiente de la Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española (ANLE). Además de cofundador y editor de la revista Neuropsicología, Neuropsiquiatría y Neurociencias, y miembro del Consejo Editorial de aproximadamente una docena de otras revistas, entre las cuales Glosas (de la ANLE), revista en la que colaboró con importantes trabajos

Presentación

Este nuevo número de Glosas reúne diferentes artículos que abarcan diversos campos de la lengua y de la lingüística españolas. En ellos encontraremos el mundo hispánico declinado de diferentes formas, pero todas remisibles al vasto mundo de la lengua

Entre textos, poema y fotografías

El trabajo describe algunas variedades del espanol; no solo el espanol en Italia, sino también en México y profundiza en el tema del spanglish