4- Language Acquisition

Question 1

How did behaviourists believe that we learned language?

Answer 1

Through reinforcement

Question 2

What did Chomsky argue?

Answer 2

Children would never acquire the tools needed for processing an infinite number of sentences if the language acquisition mechanism was dependent on language input alone

Question 3

What did Chomsky suggest?

Answer 3

Humans have an internal language faculty- possess innate, specialised cognitive structures dedicated to acquiring and using language

Question 4

What did Chomsky suggest that human language is based on?

Answer 4

Many shared characteristics of language

Question 5

What is universal grammar?

Answer 5

A concept to describe a set of basic internal structures or a set of intrinsic rules that languages share in common

Question 6

How do children learn language?

Answer 6

Effortlessly- whether they are exposed to spoken or signed language

Question 7

What appear to be involved in the acquisition and use of language?

Answer 7

Specific genes

Question 8

What do animal communication systems not contain?

Answer 8

Properties of generativity, recursion, and displacement

Question 9

What are non-human communication systems unable to do?

Answer 9

Express an infinite number of new thoughts and ideas and refer to non-existent entities

Question 10

Why have attempts to teach chimpanzees to speak always been unsuccessful?

Answer 10

Due to the way their larynx and throat are structured

Question 11

7 properties that make human language unique?

Answer 11

Vocabulary size
Recursivity
Grammatical complexity
Relative sophistication of arbitrary sequence learning
Distance in time and space from immediate content domain
Amazing tendency for a rich and systematic language to develop
Transmission from one generation to the next