Chapter 11, Exam #3

Question 1

phonemes

Answer 1

set of sounds that are characteristic of a given language, the smallest set of sound units that have significance for language

Question 2

monosyllabic cries

Answer 2

single syllable cries (ah, uh)

Question 3

morphemes

Answer 3

the smallest units of a language that denote meaning, can be individual words (root words) but they can also consist of the various prefixes suffxes and inflections we add to words

Question 4

syntax

Answer 4

refers to the rules and processes by which people put words together to form sentences

Question 5

semantics

Answer 5

the branch of linguistics that studies the meaning of words, phrases, sentences, and discourse (paragraphs, chapters, stories)

Question 6

pragmatics

Answer 6

last level in the language hierarchy, the practical, day to day use of language, it is how we use language in social situations, how we modify what we say, and understand what is said, given the context and how we use our prior knowledge and experience to comprehend what we hear and read

Question 7

cooing

Answer 7

noises made by a child between birth and 4 months

Question 8

babbling

Answer 8

at 6 months the child begins to make a very wide range of sounds, an important milestone, child makes sounds that could belong to to almost any language and can hear differences among a huge variety of sounds

Question 9

echolalic speech

Answer 9

the notion that the child will begin to imitate the sounds that he or she hears and repeats them, occurring between 9-12 month, it allows the child to process and practice more of the speech sounds in the environment

Question 10

holophrastic speech

Answer 10

at 1 year of age, children only have single words and have not figure out how to combine words to make sensible statements, this is called holophrastic speech, which means that they use those individual words as if they were whole phrases by using context, stress and pitch

Question 11

telegraphic speech

Answer 11

when the child leaves out many of the “unnecessary” words or morphemes (propositions, articles)

Question 12

linguistic universal

Answer 12

common factors of language that are seen universally (vowel consonants)

Question 13

critical period

Answer 13

when the human child is maturationally ready to acquire language. language is best learned early in life and becomes more difficult later on

Question 14

hemispheric specialization

Answer 14

the language functions of the brain are located for 90% of the population

Question 15

brocas area

Answer 15

an area in the brain that is responsible for producing speech and speech sounds

Question 16

wernickes area

Answer 16

an area in the brain that is responsible for understanding and interpreting

Question 17

Why is the structure of language represented as a pyramid? Why are phonemes located at the top and language pragmatics placed at the bottom?

Answer 17

Language is a structure that depends on the one before, pragmatics are a building block in the language pyramid. Phonemes are composed in everything

Question 18

During the acquisition of language, which of the three main features of language (phonology, syntax, and semantics) is learned first? Why?

Answer 18

Phonology is learned first because they are the sounds, and noises that babies start off doing. Then syntax and semantics both increase the meaning of the language

Question 19

What does a child need to learn first before he or she can start to make meaningful utterances (e.g., words like “mama,” or “ball”)?

Answer 19

Successive approximation must occur: by being rewarded for saying the most articulated version of the word
Object permanence- the relationship of words to the subject they are related to

Question 20

What does it mean to say that children’s comprehension of language exceeds their performance?

Answer 20

Competence- performance difference
They understand but cannot duplicate.
• Sensorimotor - monosyllabic cries, cooing, coordination, movement, vocalization, rhythm, word segments, babbling, echolalic speech, object permanence
• Pre-operations - holophrastic speech, syntax, two-word sentences, telegraphic speech, mulit-word sentences, overgeneralization, comprehension (rather than performance), semantic, vocab.

Question 21

developmental stage: Cooing

Answer 21

sensorimotor

Question 22

developmental stage: holophrastic speech

Answer 22

transition to preoperations

Question 23

developmental stage:

telegraphic speech

Answer 23

transition to preoperation

Question 24

developmental stage: babbling

Answer 24

sensorimotor

Question 25

developmental stage: semantic differentiation

Answer 25

transition to preoperation

Question 26

developmental stage: syntactic overgeneralization

Answer 26

transition to preoperation

Question 27

developmental stage: complex grammar

Answer 27

preoperational

Question 28

developmental stage: meaningful utterances

Answer 28

transition to preoperation

Question 29

developmental stage: echolalic speech

Answer 29

sensorimotor

Question 30

How does a behavioral approach to language learning employ: Classical conditioning

Answer 30

First words associated with emotional reactions they have, mama get associated with comfort of mom

Question 31

How does a behavioral approach to language learning employ: Reinforcement

Answer 31

if word is not right, parents correct them. Bad word, punished child. Wrong word, ignored. Mama gets good reaction

Question 32

How does a behavioral approach to language learning employ: shaping

Answer 32

baba turns into bottle

Question 33

How does a behavioral approach to language learning employ: generalization

Answer 33

overgeneralize past tense, forming of plural

Question 34

How does a behavioral approach to language learning employ: discrimination

Answer 34

not tooths it is teeth, not goed, went. Not everything is a dog

Question 35

How does a behavioral approach to language learning employ: vicarious reward

Answer 35

see other kids using language anf getting rewarded, so they do the same thing

Question 36

How does a behavioral approach to language learning employ: imitation

Answer 36

copy what other people do

Question 37

Identify and explain five problems with a behavioral explanation of language learning

Answer 37

1. Parents are not always consistent with rewarding the right expressions and extinguishing the wrong expressions
2. Extinction and punishment not good guides for what proper sounds should be.
3. Punishment of the wrong usage may inhibit the child and create anxiety and avoidance of speaking
4. Unrealistic to assume punishment and extinction and rewards could explain how children acquire language
5. Rapid language learning by deaf and mute children.

Question 38

What are the basic processes that underlie the theory that language is based on a biological adaptation

Answer 38

• Classical conditioning of emotional reactions (ex: mama) •Reinforcement, extinction, punishment •Shaping (“baba” ◊ bottle) •Generalization/overgeneralization (toothes)v•Discrimination (names, colors) •Self-reinforcement •Social learning (imitation and vicarious learning)

Question 39

What is the main evidence used to support the view that language learning is based on a biological adaptation?

Answer 39

• Linguistic universals (subject-verb, consonant-vowel)
• Species-specific (retarded children versus smart apes)
• Critical period (recovery from aphasia and speed of acquisition for children versus adults)
• Hemispheric Specialization (left brain/right brain)
• Brain neurology (Broca’s area, Wernicke’s area)

Question 40

What are the principal arguments used to support the cognitive theory of language learning

Answer 40

Imitation and self regulation

Question 41

What are the three problems faced by a cognitive theory of language learning

Answer 41

Children have difficulty repeating what they hear
Cognitive and linguistic development often run on separate timetables
Cognitive mechanisms are not powerful enough to allow children to acquire language as fast as they do

Question 42

What are the primary conclusions we can draw from attempts to teach language to apes

Answer 42

Apes can express themselves symbolically (ex: make requests, convey feelings, discuss the past, name objects)
• Apes can invent new signs
• Not clear if apes can use syntax.
• Can they follow rules of grammar, or do they simply respond to subtle reinforcers and imitate their human teachers.
• Ape seem to master language at the level of a 2-3 year old child.