Chapter 7: Language and thought Flashcards
Aphasia
Difficulty in producing or comprehending language.
Language
A system for communicating with others using signals that convey meaning and are combined according to rules of grammar.
Lexicalization
The process whereby the thoughts underlying the words are turned into sounds.
Phoneme
The smallest unit of sound that is recognizable as speech rather than as random noise, for example ‘ba’ or ‘pa’.
Phonological rules
A set of rules that indicate hox phonemes can be combined to produce speech sounds.
Morphemes
The smallest meaningful units of language.
Grammar
A set of rules that specify how the units of language can be combined to produce meaningful messages.
Morphological rules
A set of rules that indicate how morphemes can be combined to form words.
Syntactical rules
A set of rules that indicate how words can be combined to form phrases and sentences.
Alignment
The process whereby speakers share a reciprocal arrangement to exchange information.
Inference
Speakers generate deeper conceptual understanding based on what has been said.
Routine expression
Unambiguous conventions that facilitate language.
Speech monitoring and repair
Speakers interact to understand what others are sying by seeking clarification.
Fast mapping
The process by which children map a word onto an underlying concept after only a single exposure.
Telegraphic speech
Speech that is devoid of function morphemes and consists monthly of content words.
Nativist theory
The view that language development is best explained as an innate, biological capacity.
Language acquisition device (LAD)
A collection of processes that facilitate language learning.
Genetic dysphasia
A syndrome characterized by an inability to learn the grammatical structure of language despite having otherwise normal intelligence.
Lexicon
Our mental dictionary.
Grapheme
Units of written language that corresponds to a phoneme.
Dual-route models
Propose that there are essentially two pathways to the lexicon.
Direct lexical route
One where the grapheme maps directly onto the phoneme.
Indirect sublexical route
One that does not involve the lexicon at all but maps the grapheme directly onto the pronunciation.