Ch. 9: Language and Communication Flashcards
Define language.
System that relates sounds or gestures to meaning.
Spoken languages involve 5 elements. Define each.
Phonology: sounds of a language.
Morphology: rules of meaning within language.
Semantics: study of words and their meanings.
Syntax: rules that specify how words are combined in sentences.
Pragmatics: how people use language to communicate effectively.
_____ are sounds that are the building blocks of language. _____ can hear ones that are not in their language.
Phonemes; young babies.
Infants can identify individual words. What may help them learn language?
Infant-directed speech.
There are four first steps to speech. What are they and w at what age do they tend to appear?
2 months: cooing (vowel-like sounds).
6 months: babbling (speech-like sound, no meaning).
8 to 11 months: babbling includes intonation (rising or falling pitch).
1st birthday: first words.
Infants’ babbling is influenced by what?
The speech they hear.
Infants understand that words are _____.
Symbols.
What are symbols that children start to use around the time they begin to talk?
Gestures.
Define naming explosion and fast mapping.
Naming explosion: learn new words much more rapidly than before.
Fast mapping: learning word meanings so rapidly that the child can’t be considering all possible meanings.
How does rapid word learning happen? Give four reasons.
Joint attention.
Constraints on word names.
Sentence cues.
Cognitive growth.
What are the two naming errors?
Underextensions: defining a word too narrowly.
Overextensions: defining a word too broadly.
A wide range in vocabulary development is largely accounted for by what?
Child’s language environment.
The ability to remember speech sounds briefly is known as what?
Phonological memory.
What are the two word learning styles? How do children use language with them?
Referential style: vocabularies consist mainly of words that name objects, persons, actions; use language as an intellectual tool.
Expressive style: vocabularies include many social phrases that are used as a single word (e.g. “go-away,” “I-want-it”); use language as social tool.
List three ways to encourage word learning.
Speak with children, not at them.
Name objects that are focus of child’s attention, use speech with different words and grammatical sophisticated, respond promptly.
Read books, ask open-ended questions.
Does watching educational TV benefit children’s word learning? Are there any specific shows that help? When may benefits be best?
No evidence for increased word learning for infant shows.
Sesame Street because it is interactive.
Benefits greatest when watching educational shows with adults.
How quickly do bilingual children learn language compared to monolinguals?
As rapidly; vocabulary learning differs somewhat.
Bilingual children often are more skilled at what two things?
Switching back and forth between tasks and inhibiting inappropriate responses.
The best method of teaching immigrant children is what?
Combination of child’s native language and local language.
By 18 months, toddlers understand that photos are what? How do 3-year-olds view other symbols?
Representations of objects.
Understand relation between scale models and objects they represent.
Speech is often what in 2-year-olds? Provide examples.
Telegraphic.
E.g., “want milk,” “play blocks.”
