• Experts say too much time is spent learning via tablets and computers
  • Children's vocabulary could be stunted because they listen to teachers and parents less

By Fiona Macrae Science Correspondent

PUBLISHED: 18:59 EST, 22 July 2013 | UPDATED: 19:05 EST, 22 July 2013

Experts say the oral tradition of passing on knowledge is being eroded, with both adults and children spending too much time looking at screens

Experts say the oral tradition of passing on knowledge is being eroded, with both adults and children spending too much time looking at screens

Text messages, emails and using computers to learn could be stunting children's vocabulary, experts fear.

That is because our brains are hardwired to learn new words when we hear others use them in everyday conversation.

But learning with smartphones, tablets and computers, instead of listening to a teacher or parent, means young people are not being given the chance to hear a wide range of words, experts say.

They claim the oral tradition of passing on knowledge is being eroded, with both adults and children spending too much time looking at screens. 

Marco Catani, of the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, said: 'We have less time to talk to each other and our  children are taught through devices.

'They have access to the internet, iPhones, mobile phones and tablet computers. 

'These are visual rather than auditory, so  it is likely that they will end up with a lower average number of words than previous generations.' 

Constant computer use has been blamed  in the past for shorter attention spans, a culture of instant gratification and making young people more self-centred.

Now Dr Catani's research suggests that children who learn from on-screen images, rather than listening to conversation, will also find it harder to take in vocabulary.

In a study, the brains of 27 volunteers were scanned as they learned made-up words. They found hearing and then verbally imitating speech was key to understanding.

Dr Catani said: 'When you learn a new word, you start by hearing a sound, then you try to repeat it until you get it right. Through this you increase your vocabulary from age one until you get to 30,000 words as an adult.'

The scans revealed that one brain area, the arcuate fasciculus, was very important in the learning process. This bundle of nerve fibres links two regions tied to language – one that hears and decodes sounds, and one that moves the mouth to form speech.

The study found volunteers who had a stronger arcuate fasciculus found it easier to learn new words. Once words are familiar, they are stored in other parts of the brain.

The findings, reported in the journal  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show listening, repetition and conversation are crucial to learning language.

This information could shed new light on disorders from autism to dyslexia.

We learn new words when by hearing others use them in everyday conversation. Learning with smartphones, tablets and computers instead of listening to a teacher or parent

We learn new words when by hearing others use them in everyday conversation. Learning with smartphones, tablets and computers instead of listening to a teacher or parent means young people are not getting the chance to hear a wide range or words

But Dr Catani believes it also has wider implications – and could mean young people are growing up lacking vital language skills. He said: 'The brain is wired to learn sound through auditory processes, not visual. 

'That is why we have oral traditions, with knowledge passed from generation to generation.

'Now we understand that this is how we learn new words, our concern is that children will have less vocabulary, as much of their interaction is through text, email and screen. This research reinforces the need for us  to maintain the oral tradition of talking to our children.' 

His warning comes as a poll by the Design Museum found that many Britons see the internet as a threat to knowledge.

Of 994 people questioned, 53 per cent said they know more now than they used to, thanks to the internet. But 37 per cent said over-reliance on technology had decreased their knowledge. The other 10 per cent were undecided about the impact of computers.

The comments below have been moderated in advance.

words and phrases such as -" please and thank you" "please may I have " "excuse me " " can I help" how do you do - nice to meet you, let's have a conversation face to face in the interests of communication and harmony and I respect your views and wish to compromise for the benefit of both parties - what did you do in the war daddy - and of course I will listen to and obey the laws of the land and promise not to steal and plunder other peoples' property.

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Solution: talk to your kids. Limit time on computer. It isn't rocket science.

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This is so interesting and I think it's true. I have a 3 month old baby and I am trying to read to him as much as possible and avoid tv and iPads. I have so many friends who's kids have been using iPad learning apps and baby Einstein DVDs who now have language delays. I'm convinced that all of this technology for learning will stunt children in so many ways in the long run.

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I'm certain many of these buffoons eat, sleep and use the lavatory clutching their Apple gadgets.

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I believe it. I am gongs tangly trying to "swipe" and "minimze" and "red arrow" my friends away when they get on my nerves.

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I thought it was common knowledge that the more you read the bigger vocabulary that you have? I don't see how this will have any damage if it has the same effect as reading has had on me. I had a college reading level as a young child and used the dictionary when reading a book as a challenge. I didn't interact as much with my peers (shy) but I aced vocabulary and English lessons like no other. The only downfall is mispronouncing words because you can't hear them when reading but now the online world has a nifty little dictionary that corrects that problem. I'm also almost certain there was recently an article saying the opposite of this......

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I think the problem starts at the preschool age. Due to financial pressure,many women work when the child is 6 months or a year old, and from that young age the baby is in nursery from 8 till 6, then the tired parents pick her/him up and only have a couple of hours to spend with the child per day, in the evening only, when everyone is tired anyway. Hardly gives enough opportunity to parents to teach the child enough. And anyone who tells me that the child will learn in the nursery the same way I am sorry but I disagree. If the child is 2 years old, there will be one nursery staff for 4 children, once the child turns 3, there will be one staff for 8 children. They might sing some rhymes and get told basic things like "let's dress up, where is your shoes, wash your hands" but there won't be much individual attention or teaching as such, and although kids learn from each other too, it's not that effective. Age of 2 is crucial, it's when they ask questions and learn many new words.

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history of the world. ignorants don't get it.

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Audio, visual learning is used to learn a foreign language as well as your own. Otherwise since many English words are spelt differently with the pronounciation the same, It wouldn't be long before we started spelling and speaking words differently, as you infer re I pad or American, who spell and speak our language incorrectly. Hence my I padisms and yesterday's rosieism, which was awarded a number of red arrows, yet the I padisms escape red arrows ?

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