9.2 Flashcards
Fast Mapping
Fact that children can map a word onto an underlying concept after only a single exposure
Two-word speech
Occurs at around 24 months of age
Telegraphic speech
Speech that is devoid of function morphemes and consists mostly of content words
When are children generally able to generate complete sentences?
By age 3
When are most aspects of language acquisition complete in children?
At 4-5 years old
What are Grammatical errors frequently made by children?
Incorrect verb forms
Overgeneralization
What does the orderly language development depend on?
General cognitive development
Experience with a specific language
- Thought to be driven by experience
Behaviourist Theory
States that language is learned through operant condition and imitation, however,
Parents spend little time teaching language
Children generate more than simply what they hear
The errors made cannot be explained through conditioning or imitation
Nativist Theory
The view that language development is best explained as an innate, biological capacity.
Genetic Dysphasia
Syndrome characterized by an inability to learn the grammatical structure of language, despite having otherwise normal intelligence
Language is harder to learn after puberty
Language acquisition is possible during a restricted period of development
fMRI’s show that acquiring second language in early childhood results in different representation in brain than when learned later
Interactionist Perspective
Argues that social interactions play a crucial role in language
Social experience interacts with innate biological language abilities
How does the evolution of the Nicaraguan deaf children’s sign language support the interactionist explanation of language development?
Language is learned or created out of a desire to communicate with the world around us.
Despite the deaf children not being taught sign language, they naturally developed their own.
Broca’s area
responsible of production of language. speech as it comes out
Wernicke’s area
Left temporal cortex; language comprehension
Aphasia
Difficulty in producing or comprehending language
Broca’s aphasia + Wernicke’s aphasia
How is the Right Cerebal Hemisphere involved in language?
Some capacity for processing verbal meaning
Damage = some problems with language comprehension
Right hemisphere activation during language tasks
Children with left hemisphere removed can still retain language abilities
How is the Right Cerebral Hemisphere involved in language?
Some capacity for processing verbal meaning
Damage = some problems with language comprehension
Right hemisphere activation during language tasks
Children with left hemisphere removed can still retain language abilities
How successful have apes been in learning language?
Their vocal tracts are not well-equipped
Limitations in size of vocabulary, types of words (concrete), complexity, understanding grammar, conceptual repertoire
Success has come with American Sign Language and computerized keyboards
Difficulty in producing or comprehending language is known as…
Aphasia
How does bilingualism alter brain structure?
Learning a second language early in life increases the density of grey matter in the brain.
Lower left parietal region
