Ch. 9 Definitions Flashcards
Language
Form of communication based on system of symbols
Infinite generativity
Ability to produce and comprehend endless number of meaningful sentences using finite set of words and rules
Phonology
Sound system of a language, including sounds and combinations
Morphology
Units of meaning involved in word formation
Syntax
The ways words are combined to form acceptable phrases and sentences
Semantics
Meanings of words and sentences
Pragmatics
Appropriate use of language in different contexts
Telegraphic speech
Use of short, precise words without grammatical markers
Fast mapping
A process that helps explain how young children learn the connection between a word and its referent so quickly
Metalinguistic awareness
Knowledge about language
Whole-language approach
Teaching approach built on the idea that reading instruction should parallel children’s natural language learning (reading materials should be whole and meaningful)
Phonics approach
Teaching approach built on the idea that reading instruction should teach basic rules for translating written symbols into sounds
Metaphor
Implied comparison between two unlike things
Satire
The use of irony, derision, or wit to expose folly or wickedness
Dialect
Variety of language that is distinguished by its vocabulary, grammar, or pronunciation
Broca’s area
Area of the brain’s left frontal lobe involved in producing words
Wernicke’s area
Area of the brain’s left hemisphere that is involved in language comprehension
Aphasia
Loss or important of language processing resulting from damage to Broca’s area or Wernicke’s area
Language acquisition device (LAD)
Chomsky’s term that describes a biological endowment that enables the child to detect certain features and rules of language, including phonology, syntax, and semantics
Child-directed speech
Language spoken in a higher pitch than normal, with simple words and sentences
Recasting
An adult’s grammatical rephrasing of a child’s statement that might lack the appropriate morphology/other errors
Expanding
Adding information to the child’s incomplete utterance
Labeling
Naming objects that children seem interested in
