Dig into what causes the tip of the tongue phenomenon, where your brain struggles to recall a word or term from memory.

 

 

 

 

Watch the video:

 

 

 

and choose the correct answer.

 

1. What makes the tip-of-the-tongue experience particularly frustrating

A. We have completely forgotten the meaning of the word.

B. We feel that the word is within reach, but cannot quite retrieve it.

C. We can remember the spelling but never the pronunciation.

D. We confuse words with completely unrelated meanings.

 

2. According to the video, which part of the word retrieval process may be particularly vulnerable to glitches?

A. Understanding the meaning.

B. Recognising visual information.

C. Retrieving the sound of the word.

D. Forming grammatical structures.

 

3. Why might multilingual people experience more tip-of-the-tongue moments?

A. They have more words competing for retrieval.

B. They tend to have weaker memories.

C. They use fewer associations when speaking.

D. Their brains process sounds more slowly.

 

4. What did the study involving stressful test conditions suggest?

A. Stress improves people’s ability to recall words.

B. Stress has no significant effect on word retrieval.

C. Stress can increase the frequency of tip-of-the-tongue experiences.

D. Stress only affects people who speak more than one language.

 

5. What is the potential positive function of a tip-of-the-tongue state?

A. It helps people permanently store new vocabulary.

B. It helps people forget irrelevant information.

C. It prevents the brain from becoming overloaded with information.

D. It encourages people to put more effort into finding the missing information.

 

6. Which of the following is an example of cueing?

A. Thinking about related information and using the first letter to trigger recall.

B. Repeating the same sentence several times.

C. Trying to forget a word and move on.

D. Translating the word into another language.

 

Key: 1B; 2C; 3A; 4C; 5D; 6A

 

Glossary

 

• tantalising – making you want something very much, especially because it seems close or almost within reach but you cannot get it
• to derail – to cause something to go off course, interrupting or preventing it from progressing as planned
• to infer – to form an opinion or reach a conclusion based on evidence or clues rather than explicit information
• to to trip sb up – to cause someone to make a mistake or experience difficulty, often unexpectedly
• red-herring – a fact, idea, or subject that takes people’s attention away from the central point being considered
• to exacerbate – to make a problem, difficult situation or negative feeling worse
• to jog someone’s memory – to help someone remember something by giving them a clue or reminding them of related information

 

Practice makes perfect

 

Fill in the gaps in the article extract with the words in bold below:

 

impairs            frantically       age      mitigate

remarkable      spring into action       surface            pristine

 

(…) When a word is “on the tip of the tongue,” multiple regions of the brain 1. …………. working to locate the missing term. Imagine a group of people 2. …….. searching a library for a specific book. Similarly, the brain mobilizes specific areas to assist in this search. (…)

Interestingly, this frustrating experience becomes more frequent as we 3. ……. . Studies show that parts of the brain involved in word retrieval–particularly the anterior cingulate cortex and the insula–tend to atrophy over time. This means they lose some efficiency, like a once-4. ……..  library becoming disorganised, with misplaced books and poorly labelled shelves. As a result, retrieving a “book” or, in this case, a word, becomes more challenging.

For example, research has shown that in older adults, the insula is less active during word retrieval attempts. This diminished activity 5. ……….. the ability to assemble the phonological elements of words, making “tip-of-the-tongue” moments more common. The more affected the insula becomes with age, the harder it is to recover words that are otherwise familiar.

(…) there are ways to 6. ……… the effects of ageing on word retrieval. One strategy involves building what scientists call cognitive reserve–a protective factor bolstered by intellectual, physical and social activities. This reserve helps optimise brain health and cognitive ageing, making word-finding easier even as we grow older.

The next time a word is on the tip of your tongue, remember that your brain is hard at work trying to retrieve it. Partial information–such as certain sounds or related words–might 7. ………. first, encouraging you to keep searching. If the word doesn’t come to you right away, take a break and try again later with a clear mind. These moments are a testament to the brain’s complexity and 8. ………. efficiency.

In order to check your answers/read the whole article, go to: https://theconversation.com/what-happens-in-the-brain-when-theres-a-word-on-the-tip-of-the-tongue-246091

 

Key: 1. spring into action; 2. frantically; 3. age; 4. pristine; 5. impairs; 6. mitigate; 7. surface; 8. remarkable

 

 

Discuss

 

• Have you ever struggled to remember someone’s name even though you recognised their face immediately? Why do you think names are so difficult to recall?
• When you can’t remember a particular word, what do you usually do? Do you try to describe it, use a synonym or simply give up?
• Do you think speaking more than one language makes word retrieval more difficult? Have you ever accidentally used a word from another language?
• Do you think constantly translating things in your head can derail the flow of a conversation?
• Do you think having a large vocabulary necessarily means being able to communicate fluently? Why/why not?
• Can you think of any everyday habits that might help improve memory and word retrieval?
• Do you agree that stress can exacerbate memory problems? Have you noticed this in your own life?
• Do you think people who speak eloquently are automatically perceived as more intelligent or competent?
• In professional situations, how much does the ability to express yourself clearly influence your credibility?

 

Watch and Revise!

 

Why Your Brain Knows the Word but Won’t Say It

 

https://www.cloud.worldwideschool.pl/index.php/s/RC3ZMM4bWPzHfwx

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