Neurolinguistics studies the functions of the brain in understanding and using language.

For linguists, one of the most interesting aspects of the brain is its lateralization, a technical term for describing how the the right and left hemispheres of the brain have unique abilities.

Neurolinguists also study aphasiology, a technical term for problems resulting from damage to critical areas of the brain used in language production, like Broca's aphasia and Wernicke's aphasia.

For most students, one of the most fascinating topics in neurolinguistics is the difference between males and females. From the moment a baby enters the world, its sex helps determine how he or she will learn and use language. Below is a summary of the ways gender is manifested in language.

Note that below are broad generalizations. While research shows that most people's language is indeed dominated by one hemisphere of the brain, most people have some traits and qualities that can be correlated to both hemispheres of the brain. Also, some people, including homosexuals, may demonstrate linguistic traits matching those of the opposite gender.

At this chapter, we have discussed the typical distribution of language functions in the left and right hemispheres. We must say "typical" and not "universal" because Professor Tadanobu Tsunoda has discovered that the Japanese have a much different system of language lateralization.