Language Centers in the Brain

The language centers in the brain are represented by Broca's area and Wernicke's area. These areas function as speech processing and production centers. The language centers are located in most people in the left cerebral hemisphere: the Broca's area in the inferior frontal gyrus of the frontal lobe, and the Wernicke's area in the superior temporal gyrus of the temporal lobe.

Although they are situated in different lobes of the cerebral cortex, the two language centers are closely interconnected via axons which runs from the temporal to the frontal lobe and vice versa. The Broca's area is a speech production center with motor functions; the Wernicke's area is a language comprehension center, which is next to the primary auditory cortex.

Language Centers