Folk Theories of Language and the Brain: Public Beliefs About Speech, Bilingualism, and Neural Function

Public understanding of how the brain processes language remains shaped more by folk theories than by modern neuroscience. Misconceptions and oversimplification such as “language lives in the left brain,” “bilingualism causes delays,” or “AI understands language like humans” persist across education, media, and healthcare discourse. Yet scientific models, including Damasio and Damasio’s tripartite neural framework, reveal a far more nuanced picture—where language emerges from interactions between bilateral conceptual networks, left-lateralized linguistic encoders, and intermediary systems that mediate between meaning and form. This study investigates the prevalence and origins of these folk theories using a mixed-methods approach, including public surveys, qualitative interviews, and media analysis. We identify the most common public beliefs, map them against neuroscientific models, and explore how misinformation travels through education, personal experience, and popular media. Our findings reveal not only widespread misalignment between public beliefs and neuroscientific consensus, but also thematic patterns shaped by metaphor, oversimplification, and cognitive bias. We conclude by offering communication strategies for scientists, educators, and policymakers seeking to close the gap between brain science and public perception of language.