CH 9.2: Language in Preschoolers Flashcards
why is questioning effective when children are being read a book?
so that children are forced to identify meanings of new words and practice saying them
children are most likely to learn new words when they participate in…
activities that force them to understand the meanings of new words and then use them
what was the general view of bilingualism in the twentieth century?
it harmed children’s development
bilingual children seem to be stronger or weaker in many areas versus monolingual kids?
stronger
6 principles for supporting second language learning children
-children learn what they hear most
-kids learn words for things that interest them
-interactive rather than passive contexts promotes language learning
-children learn words best in meaningful contexts
-kids need to hear diverse examples of words
-vocab and grammar dev. are reciprocal processes
best method of instructing kids uses which types of languages?
their native language and the country’s official language(s)
when do kids start displaying telegraphic speech?
1.5yrs
telegraphic speech
talk consisting of only crucial nouns and verbs relevant to meaning
some types of telegraphic speech/2 word talk
agent+action
possessor+possession
action+object
entity+location
etc
when do kids start using 3 word talk/longer sentences?
2yrs
grammatical morphemes
words/endings that make phrases more grammatically correct
how is it said that children learn grammar?
“applying general rules” (not by learning individual words)
when do children learn to use negotiation and understand passive voice vs active voice?
3-6yrs
overregularization
applying rules to words that are exceptions to the rule
what did Noam Chomsky argue about grammatical rules/children’s language learning?
grammatical rules are too complex for youngsters to infer them solely on the basis of speech that they’ve heard
what is said about the brain and how children acquire grammar?
kids are born with neural circuits in the brain that allow them to infer the grammar of the language they hear
3 points of evidence that support that children have inborn mechanisms that help them learn grammar:
- there are specific brain regions known to be responsible for language processing
- only humans learn grammar readily
- there is a critical period for learning language
semantic bootstrapping hypothesis
children rely upon their knowledge of word meanings to discover grammatical rules
what is the prime source of info about language for most children?
their parents’ speech
general agreement that the future theory about how children master grammar will include: (3)
-importance of a language-rich environment
-mechanisms to explain learning grammar
-idea that children actively seek out regularities in their language environment
Broca’s area
area in the left frontal cortex responsible for combining words into meaningful sentences
critical period for acquiring language and mastering grammar
0-12yrs
