7.05 Language Flashcards
a system for combining symbols so that an infinite number of meaningful statements can be made
language
two purposes of language
- communication with others
- representation of our own mental activities
the system of rules governing the structure and use of language
grammar
he proposed that humans have a natural ability to understand and produce language
Noam Chomsky
the part of the brain that Chomsky argues is responsible for humans’ innate ability to understand and produce language; in other words, it contains a schema for language
language acquisition device (LAD)
basic elements of Chomsky’s theory
- humans have an innate ability to understand and produce language
- this ability comes from the LAD
- the LAD is a program with a schema for human language
- children hear language, then compare it against their mental schema
- specific language (English, Korean, etc.) is learned by imitation, reinforcement, and shaping, but the patterns of grammar are hardwired
- these patters are the same across cultures
the smallest unit of sound in language
phoneme
the smallest unit of meaning in language
morpheme
rules for combining words and phrases
syntax
the meaning of words in a sentence
semantics
the practical aspects of communicating with others, including gesturing, taking turns in a conversation, or intonation
pragmatics
the study of word formation
morphology
rhythm and emphasis in spoken language
intonation
argued that concepts must precede the development of language; a child must have a concept or schema for an idea before truly learning the word for it
Jean Piaget
a characteristic conversational pattern of preschoolers who are unable to take the perspective of others and thus make little effort to modify their speech for their listener so that remarks to each other seem unrelated
collective monologue
focused entirely on oneself, as is the young child who engages in collective monologue
egocentric
he believed that language helped a child to develop concepts and to control social behaviors; also, that private speech increased over time, as the demand for self-control became more pressing
Lev Vygotsky
the assumption that a culture’s concepts and thought processes are shaped by its language
linguistic relativity hypothesis
the idea that language and its structures limit and determine human knowledge or thought, as well as thought processes such as categorization, memory, and perception
linguistic determinism
they developed the idea that concepts are universal, and they influence language development–not the other way around
cognitive universalism
grammatical errors that usually start in the early stages of a child’s language development where language rules are applied too generally, rather than according to the unique situation at hand (example: she singed, rather than she sang)
overregularization
three linguistic universals (there are more!)
- arbitrariness
- displacement
- vocal-auditory channel
