Beyond Words Ep. 7 | The Neuroscience of Language: Brain Networks and Individual Difference with Dr. Ev Fedorenko

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Dr. Ev Fedorenko (MIT) joins host Garrett Oyama to explore how the brain processes language — and why the language network is far more distinct and specialized than previously thought. From the surprising isolation of this network to what this means for aphasia, speech therapy, and AI, this episode dives into some of the most exciting neuroscience of language today.

We discuss:

• Why traditional brain maps may be misleading
• How individual brain variability affects language recovery
• Why the language system doesn’t overlap with math, music, or logic
• What this means for clinicians and educators

🔗 Relevant Links

🧠 Ev Fedorenko’s lab: https://evlab.mit.edu

Beyond Words Ep. 6 | The Music and Speech Connection with Dr. Anita Collins

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Join host Garrett Oyama in this Beyond Words archive episode with internationally renowned educator and author Dr. Anita Collins to explore one of the most practical and powerful tools for child development: music.

Best known for her TED-Ed video How Playing an Instrument Benefits Your Brain, Dr. Collins brings science down to earth, showing how sound acts as “superfood” for a baby’s brain and how music learning can profoundly shape language, attention, literacy, and even emotional regulation.

Whether you’re a parent, speech-language pathologist, educator, or simply music-curious, this episode is packed with insights and real-life strategies:

🎶 Why singing to your baby is more powerful than playing music on a device

🧠 How rhythm and beat perception relate to reading ability

🗣️ The surprising connection between musical training and speech development

👶 What to know about noisy environments and infant sound nutrition

💡 Easy musical activities that support language — even if you “can’t sing”

This is an inspiring and actionable listen that reminds us of something deeply human: music and language aren’t separate — they’re entwined from the very beginning.

🟢 More from Dr. Anita Collins: https://www.biggerbetterbrains.com

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Join host Garrett Oyama on Beyond Words for a fascinating conversation with Dr. Michael C. Frank, the Benjamin Scott Crocker Professor of Human Biology at Stanford University. Dr. Frank directs the Language and Cognition Lab and the Symbolic Systems Program, and his research asks some of the biggest questions about how children learn language and how social interaction shapes that learning.

In this episode, we explore:

• The origins of WordBank and how massive open datasets are transforming child language research.
• What the MacArthur–Bates CDI reveals about early vocabulary, variability, and developmental trajectories.
• Why children’s first words are more social than survival-based.
• How pointing, joint attention, and even hand movements lay the foundation for communication.
• The surprising universals of variability across cultures and languages.
• What large language models (LLMs) can and can’t teach us about human language learning.
• New multimodal projects like BabyView, capturing the world from a child’s perspective.

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• Elan's substack
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Join host Garrett Oyama in this thought-provoking episode of Beyond Words, featuring Dr. Elan Barenholtz, cognitive scientist and professor of psychology at Florida Atlantic University. Together, they explore Dr. Barenholtz’s compelling theory that language is not invented, but discovered—emerging from structured, sequential patterns much like music. They dive deep into the concept of language as an autoregressive system, where meaning arises not from static symbols but from dynamic movement through linguistic space. Key topics include the aesthetics of syntax, the parallels between language and jazz improvisation, and what large language models can teach us about human communication. With implications for AI, language development, and clinical practice, this episode offers a paradigm-shifting view of how we speak, think, and understand the world.

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Description:

What shapes the way humans speak? In this episode of Beyond Words, Garrett Oyama sits down with Dr. Ted Gibson, professor of cognitive science at MIT and director of the MIT Language Lab, to explore how language emerges from cognitive and communicative pressures.

From Amazonian hunter-gatherer languages with no number words, to cross-linguistic patterns explained by dependency length minimization, Ted shares insights from decades of research across dozens of languages. We also discuss why syntax matters for communication, how brain imaging separates language from thought, and what this means for speech-language pathologists, educators, and anyone fascinated by human cognition.

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Lex Fridman Interview

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What does it take to make sense of the sound soup that surrounds a newborn? In this episode of Beyond Words, Garrett Oyama sits down with Dr. Jenny Saffran—pioneer of infant statistical learning—to explore how babies transform streams of speech into meaningful language, all without seeing “white spaces” between words.

Together, they dive into:

• How infants use statistical learning to segment and group sounds
• Why the brain’s ability to track syllable patterns is like a built-in prediction engine
• How context and the physical environment (like shape-sorter toys!) support early word learning
• New work applying eye-tracking to understand language in children with cerebral palsy
• The intersection of music, language, and domain-general learning mechanisms

Dr. Saffran also weighs in on nature vs. nurture, the rise of large language models, and why infants may be motivated not by communication—but by the desire to grip the world with meaning.

Whether you’re a speech therapist, a cognitive science fan, or just fascinated by how humans learn to speak, this conversation opens up wonder and insight on every level.

Exploring Music, Language, and Cognition with Dr. Daniel Bowling | Beyond Words Ep. 1

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Join Garrett Oyama, a musician and PhD student, as he begins his new podcast series 'Beyond Words,' focusing on language, music, and cognition. In this inaugural episode, Garrett is joined by Dr. Daniel Bowling, assistant professor at Stanford and director of the Music and Brain Health Lab. They delve into Dr. Bowling's groundbreaking research on harnessing the neural effects of music for novel treatments focusing on anxiety and depression in young adults. The conversation covers a wide range of fascinating topics, from the evolutionary biology of music to the neurobiological foundations of emotion and social communication. They explore the therapeutic potential of music in speech therapy and mental health treatment, and share insights on how music can modulate emotional states and improve focus. This episode is an engaging and informative discussion that bridges art and science, providing valuable takeaways for educators, therapists, and anyone interested in the profound interplay between music and the mind.

Beyond Words: Conversations on Language, Music, and Mind is a new podcast from Garrett Oyama with Speech Therapy PD.

Many episodes of Beyond Words will be available for ASHA CEUs through Speech Therapy PD, visit https://www.speechtherapypd.com for more information.

What lies beyond the words we speak? Hosted by speech-language pathologist, musician, and communication PhD student Garrett Oyama, this podcast explores the rich space where communication, music, neuroscience, and creativity converge. Through conversations, sound, and story, we go beyond the clinical and into the poetic dimensions of human connection.