Communication is essential for human interaction, and it can happen in many ways, even without spoken words. When people do not share the same language, they can still communicate through non-verbal methods. For example, gestures, facial expressions, body language, and visual symbols that do not rely on words.
This article, and the aligned podcast episode, does not go into the multiple ways we can communicate but it does give an overview of a few experiences I have had recently when trying to communicate with others on holiday and we don’t speak the same language.
The language can mean different things, but focusing on speech, the part of the brain that deals with this is located in the frontal lobe and is called the Broca area, which is crucial for formulating and producing speech.
Even if you speak another language that is different to your native language, this area of the brain will still deal with it.
The Broca area is connected to other regions of the brain, including the Wernicke area, by a neuronal tract known as the arcuate fasciculus. In addition to serving a role in speech production, the Broca area, which was discovered in 1861 by French surgeon Paul Broca, is also also is involved in language comprehension, in motor-related activities associated with hand movements, and in sensorimotor learning and integration.
This area has many collaborators such as the already mentioned Wernicke area, region of the brain that contains motor neurons involved in the comprehension of speech. This area was first described in 1874 by German neurologist Carl Wernicke. The Wernicke area is located in the posterior third of the upper temporal convolution of the left hemisphere of the brain. Thus, it lies close to the auditory cortex. This area appears to be uniquely important for the comprehension of speech sounds and is considered to be the receptive language, or language comprehension, centre.(1)
Other parts of the brain that are involved in communication is the prefrontal cortex which is found in the frontal lobe. This region is vital for higher-level functions like social awareness, resolving linguistic ambiguities, and understanding the social context of communication.
The cerebrum is a large part of the brain that processes sensory information, including sound, and manages functions related to language, learning, and reasoning.
(1) Britannica, Broca area and Wernicke area
As for the jellyfish referenced to in the podcast episode, the Rhizostoma pulmo does not have a brain. Like all jellyfish, it lacks a central nervous system and instead possesses a decentralised nerve net that allows it to respond to stimuli like touch, light, and chemicals in its environment. Its nerve net operates on a system of reflexes, enabling it to react to its surroundings without conscious thought.
Other references of interest: Is the art of conversation dying in the Digital Age?