CH 8- Language Acquisition Flashcards
Innateness Hypothesis
theory that asserts that language is innate in humans
Linguistics Universals
basic features shared by all languages
Universal Grammar
theoretical inborn set of structural characteristics shared by all languages
Critical Period
a period of time in an individuals life in which a behavior must be acquired
Neglected Children
Neglected by caretakers
Feral Children
grew up in the wild
Homesign
Gestures made between individuals who interact together in situations sign language isn’t available
Imitation Theory
claims children learn language by listening to the speech around them then repeating what they’ve heard.
Reinforcement Theory
asserts that children learn to speak like adults because they are praised, rewarded, and otherwise reinforced when they use the right forms and are corrected when they use the wrong forms.
Active Construction of a Grammar Theory
holds that children actually invent the rules of grammar themselves
Connectionist Theories
assume that children learn language by creating neural connections in the brain
Social Interaction Theory
assumes that children acquire language by social interaction with older children and adults
Child-directed speech
speech to infants
High Amplitude Sucking
infants given a specific pacifier connected to a sound generating system
Conditioned head turn procedure
conditioning and testing
Voice Onset Time
sounds that English speaking adults conceive
Articulacy Gestures
producing and timing particular sounds
Babble
children producing vowels and consonants or hand gestures
Repeated Canonical Babbling
constant repetition allow children to practice vowels and consonants
Variegated Babbling
infants string together different syllables
Holophrastic Stage
one word
Telegraphic
the speech of young children
Overgeneralization
rules of plural formation
Negatives
Children go through stage of learning negative sentences
