CH 9.2: Language in Preschoolers

Question 1

why is questioning effective when children are being read a book?

Answer 1

so that children are forced to identify meanings of new words and practice saying them

Question 2

children are most likely to learn new words when they participate in…

Answer 2

activities that force them to understand the meanings of new words and then use them

Question 3

what was the general view of bilingualism in the twentieth century?

Answer 3

it harmed children’s development

Question 4

bilingual children seem to be stronger or weaker in many areas versus monolingual kids?

Answer 4

stronger

Question 5

6 principles for supporting second language learning children

Answer 5

-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

Question 6

best method of instructing kids uses which types of languages?

Answer 6

their native language and the country’s official language(s)

Question 7

when do kids start displaying telegraphic speech?

Answer 7

1.5yrs

Question 8

telegraphic speech

Answer 8

talk consisting of only crucial nouns and verbs relevant to meaning

Question 9

some types of telegraphic speech/2 word talk

Answer 9

agent+action
possessor+possession
action+object
entity+location
etc

Question 10

when do kids start using 3 word talk/longer sentences?

Answer 10

2yrs

Question 11

grammatical morphemes

Answer 11

words/endings that make phrases more grammatically correct

Question 12

how is it said that children learn grammar?

Answer 12

“applying general rules” (not by learning individual words)

Question 13

when do children learn to use negotiation and understand passive voice vs active voice?

Answer 13

3-6yrs

Question 14

overregularization

Answer 14

applying rules to words that are exceptions to the rule

Question 15

what did Noam Chomsky argue about grammatical rules/children’s language learning?

Answer 15

grammatical rules are too complex for youngsters to infer them solely on the basis of speech that they’ve heard

Question 16

what is said about the brain and how children acquire grammar?

Answer 16

kids are born with neural circuits in the brain that allow them to infer the grammar of the language they hear

Question 17

3 points of evidence that support that children have inborn mechanisms that help them learn grammar:

Answer 17

1. there are specific brain regions known to be responsible for language processing
2. only humans learn grammar readily
3. there is a critical period for learning language

Question 18

semantic bootstrapping hypothesis

Answer 18

children rely upon their knowledge of word meanings to discover grammatical rules

Question 19

what is the prime source of info about language for most children?

Answer 19

their parents’ speech

Question 20

general agreement that the future theory about how children master grammar will include: (3)

Answer 20

-importance of a language-rich environment
-mechanisms to explain learning grammar
-idea that children actively seek out regularities in their language environment

Question 21

Broca’s area

Answer 21

area in the left frontal cortex responsible for combining words into meaningful sentences

Question 22

critical period for acquiring language and mastering grammar

Answer 22

0-12yrs