CH 9 LANGUAGE Flashcards
What is Language?
Language is formatted in a
grammatical structure, but this
doesn’t tell us about why we have
language.
Language developed from gesture,
is used for social interaction,
meaning making, to coordinate
intentions.
The specifics of how we accomplish
these actions and joint
understanding is called pragmatics.
Language
System for conveying
meaning to and with others
using signals that are combined
according to rules of grammar
and to convey meaning
Summary
* Human language is complex,
involves words representing
intangible things, and is used to
think and conceptualize (different
than other animal species)
Grammar
Set of rules that
specify how the units of
language can be combined to
produce meaningful messages
Language production
The
structured and conventional
expression of thoughts through
words
Speech
The expression of language
through sounds
Language comprehension
The
process of understanding spoken,
written, or signed language
Language
Structure
Phoneme – the smallest
unit of sound in a
language, an individual
sound
Example: The word pig has
three phonemes: p, i, and g
Phonology – the study of
how individual sounds or
phonemes are used to
produce language
Morpheme – the smallest
units of a language that
convey meaning
*Example: The word pigs has two
morphemes: pig and s
Semantics – the study of
how meaning in language
is constructed of individual
words and sentences
Lexical meaning –
dictionary meaning of a
word
Behaviorist explanations
stated that language is
learned largely through
operant conditioning
(reinforcement) and
imitation
* Problems: Generativity,
unheard errors (e.g.,
overregularization,
under-extension,
overextension).Language is entirely
learned (Skinner). When
babies are given rewards
(praise or attention) for a
word/sound, they are
more likely to repeat that
word/sound.
Nativists, such as Chomsky
argued that the structure of
language has a universal basis that
is innate.
Language development is best explained as an
innate biological capacity with a critical
period.
Infants are universal phoneticians (Steven
Pinker). Werker (2012) perceptual biases
facilitate and guide acquisition.
Language acquisition device (LAD):
Collection of processes that
facilitate language learning.
Maybe there is a module in the
brain that acts like a special
processor for language
According to nativist, Steven Pinker,
infants can distinguish (can tell the
difference) between all human
phonemes, although this ability
dissipates by 6 months of age. Comprehension comes before
production
What is overregulation
the process by which
elementary school
children over-apply
newly-learned
grammatical rules to
improperly “correct” an
irregular part of speech
such as a verb
*Example: “thinked”
instead of “thought
All infants go through the same
babbling sequence. Deaf babies
babble with their hands and are not
delayed. Babbling is hard-wired or
highly canalized.
Interactive View
The roots of language are not innate or learned by
solely learned by imitation.
* Bio/Neuro: Brain is set up for language physically
and functionally–pattern detection, categorization,
schema formation.
* Learning: Hearing language, the same kinds of
words used in context of everyday living. Social
interaction is key.
* Child-directed speech
How Caregivers Support Word
Learning
- Engagement with toys.
- Shared experiences open world to language.
- Scaffold sound/word learning.
- Talk to infant all the time—infant direct speech helps with word
segmentation. Simplify speech (grammatically simpler and
shorter) to adjust speech to child’s ability. - Rich in emotional expression (i.e., bonding function).
- Use of gesture like pointing to objects (referential ability).
What are the Milestones of Early
Language Acquisition?
- 1-5 Months: Crying, cooing, laughing (THEY HAVE
GREAT VALUE!), beginnings of babbling. Universal. - 6 months: Reduplicative babbling (phonemes +
consonant-vowel sounds.) - When it begins to resemble surrounding language—
called ‘jargon’s stage’, ‘conversational babbling’ or
patterned speech (10 months). - Approx. 1 year: First words. Simple single-words.
- Similar cross-culturally – words for parents (mama)
- Receptive vs. expressive language (i.e.,
understanding before
using
Milestones of Early
Language Acquisition
- 18–24 months – vocabulary spurt
- Over- and under-extensions (learning grammar)
- End of second year – combine words
- Telegraphic speech. Dropped morphemes
- End of third year – complex ideas, plural, past tense
- Over-regularization—He wented to the table.
- Pragmatics – three years old
o Basic understanding of practical information regarding
language including pausing between sentences - Grammar – four years old
o Basic rules of grammar are understood without formal
20
education
Language Helpers:
Environmental Effect on
Language Development
*Grammar development is affected by the environment.
*Child-directed speech – simple, high-pitched, slow-paced,
emotion-charged speech used by adults when speaking with
babies and young children
* Overregularization – the process by which elementary school
children over-apply newly-learned grammatical rules to
improperly “correct” an irregular part of speech such as a verb
* Example: “thinked” instead of “thought”
