Final answer:
The cerebral cortex regions involved in higher mental functions like learning and speaking, and not in direct sensory or motor functions, are called association areas.
Step-by-step explanation:
Locations in the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions but are involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking are known as association areas. These regions are adjacent to primary sensory or motor areas and are involved in the further processing of modality-specific input. An example of such processing can be observed in the posterior parietal cortex, which aids in the coordination of visual and motor functions, such as reaching to pick up a glass. However, beyond the association areas are the integrative areas, which are responsible for fusing multisensory information and can process different modalities based on similar functions like spatial processing. The prefrontal cortex, part of the frontal lobe, is crucial in controlling executive functions such as judgment, abstract reasoning, working memory, and attention.