Question 1

Define language.

Accepted Answer

System that relates sounds or gestures to meaning.

Question 2

Spoken languages involve 5 elements. Define each.

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 3

_____ are sounds that are the building blocks of language. _____ can hear ones that are not in their language.

Accepted Answer

Phonemes; young babies.

Question 4

Infants can identify individual words. What may help them learn language?

Accepted Answer

Infant-directed speech.

Question 5

There are four first steps to speech. What are they and w at what age do they tend to appear?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 6

Infants’ babbling is influenced by what?

Accepted Answer

The speech they hear.

Question 7

Infants understand that words are _____.

Accepted Answer

Symbols.

Question 8

What are symbols that children start to use around the time they begin to talk?

Accepted Answer

Gestures.

Question 9

Define naming explosion and fast mapping.

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 10

How does rapid word learning happen? Give four reasons.

Accepted Answer

Joint attention. Constraints on word names. Sentence cues. Cognitive growth.

Question 11

What are the two naming errors?

Accepted Answer

Underextensions: defining a word too narrowly. Overextensions: defining a word too broadly.

Question 12

A wide range in vocabulary development is largely accounted for by what?

Accepted Answer

Child's language environment.

Question 13

The ability to remember speech sounds briefly is known as what?

Accepted Answer

Phonological memory.

Question 14

What are the two word learning styles? How do children use language with them?

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 15

List three ways to encourage word learning.

Accepted Answer

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.

Question 16

Does watching educational TV benefit children’s word learning? Are there any specific shows that help? When may benefits be best?

Accepted Answer

No evidence for increased word learning for infant shows. Sesame Street because it is interactive. Benefits greatest when watching educational shows with adults.

Question 17

How quickly do bilingual children learn language compared to monolinguals?

Accepted Answer

As rapidly; vocabulary learning differs somewhat.

Question 18

Bilingual children often are more skilled at what two things?

Accepted Answer

Switching back and forth between tasks and inhibiting inappropriate responses.

Question 19

The best method of teaching immigrant children is what?

Accepted Answer

Combination of child’s native language and local language.

Question 20

By 18 months, toddlers understand that photos are what? How do 3-year-olds view other symbols?

Accepted Answer

Representations of objects. Understand relation between scale models and objects they represent.

Question 21

Speech is often what in 2-year-olds? Provide examples.

Accepted Answer

Telegraphic. E.g., "want milk," "play blocks."

Question 22

Over time, children gradually add words or endings of words that make a sentence grammatical. What is the term for these techniques?

Accepted Answer

Grammatical morphemes.

Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Ch. 9: Language and Communication Flashcards

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