Chapter 2 Topic 1 Flashcards
language
- consists of a system of symbols and rules
- bind these symbols and rules to organize words to transmit information to each other
- conventionalized form of communication
psycholinguistics
- the scientific study of the psychological aspects of language
do animals have language
- animals use olfaction, noises, body-language
not a permanently accepted fact by scientists that animals have language, but assume true for this class
properties of language
- language is symbolic and structured
- grammar
- semantics
- generativity
- displacement
language is symbolic and structured
- use of sounds, signs, gestures
- allows for forming and transferring mental representations
- ex. road signs, traffic colour = green = go
- word dog = symbolic (the word doesn’t look like a dog at all)
grammar
- the set of rules for how symbols can be combined into communication (into something meaningful)
- Zplrovc – not english because not enough vowels (can’t just have a string of consonants)
ex. “I go” vs. “go I”
Semantics
- symbols/words = arbitrary but semantics give these symbols (words) meaning
- the meaning of words and sentences
- form/transfer mental representations that have meaning
generativity
- combine symbols to generate infinite messages
- make over half-a-million words out of 26 english letters
- make infinite sentences out of words
ie.
the ability to produce sentences never before said, and to understand sentences never before heard
displacement
- can communicate about things not physically present
- ex. using past tense, future tense
- talk about things, people, events that currently exist but may be somewhere else
- communicate about imaginary situations
surface structure
- ways symbols are combined and order
- syntax
syntax
: grammar (order of words)
deep structure
- underlying meaning of combined symbols
semantics
- semantics: rules for connecting the symbols
can you have one single structure with 2 deep structures?
Yes, for ambiguous things
ex. the police must stop drinking after midnight
the hierarchal structure of language
dialogue, sentence, phrase, word, morpheme, phoneme
sentence
A group of words that expresses a complete thought/meaning
phrases
a small group of words standing together as a conceptual unit, typically forming a component of a clause.
words
a single distinct meaningful element of speech or writing
phonemes
- building blocks of language
- smallest units of sound recognized as separate
- ~44 phonemes in English language
morphemes
- The smallest units of meaning in a language.
- combination of phonemes
- more than 100,000 morphemes
It is a word or part of a word that has meaning.
It cannot be divided into smaller meaningful parts without violation of its meaning or without meaningless remainders.
It recurs in differing word environments with a relatively stable meaning.
ex. suffix (like -s to make things plural), prefix
- can also be words (ex. dog, log, fans (fan, s)
pragmatics
the appropriate use of language in different contexts
a knowledge of the PRACTICAL aspects of using language
context matters
ex. do you have the time?
asking what time it is, not to physically have time
ex. I need help, do you have the time?
asking “can i have your time right now”
context in pragmatics comes from
-clarity
-tone
clarity
- depends on who you’re talking to
- you adjust your speed, vocab, complexity of what you’re saying
tone
the way you talk to your sister vs co-worker, for example
- wrong tone = violation of pragmatics
Language acquisition device (LAD)
- an innate mechanism or process that facilitates the learning of language (we are born with the capacity to learn)
- universal grammar
- all languages have a common deep structure
what can infants of 1-3 months do in terms of language
- vocalize entire range of phonemes
what can infants of 6-12 months do in terms of language
- Discriminate sounds specific to native language
- universal language is pruned/cut down
Social learning processes in acquiring language
What do parents do
- child-directed speech: high pitched intonations + speak fast to maintain child’s attention
- name and questions + reading: builds social connection and makes child smarter
Social learning processes in acquiring language
Role of operant conditions
- positive reinforcement
- Skinner
- behaviouralism (behaviour caused by consequences)
- Correction of language: by parents; parents usually correct content, not grammar
- withholding reinforcement = extinction
Developmental time period and sensitive periods
All children go through the same stages
- Cooing (including heavy breathing) 0-4 months – babies more likely to listen to language they heard in womb
- Babbling (5-12 months) – repeating syllables
- single words (9-18 months) – first words, make up words
- telegraphic speech (18-30 months) – not using and non-essential words; noun + verb only (ex. “want cookie”)
- After 2 years, speech development speeds up really quickly and the child eventually becomes fluent
feral children
Learned language later in life
