Chapter 9 Flashcards
What is language
system for communicating with others using signals that are combined according to rules of grammar and that convey meaning
what is grammar?
set of rules that specify how the units of language can be combined to produce meaningful messages
what is special about human language?
- more complex than other forms of communication
- involves words representing intangible things
- used to think and conceptualize
what are the basic characteristics of human language
phonemes and morphemes
what is a phoneme
a unit of sound in a specified language, also contains phonological rules
what is a morpheme
unit of language that cannot be divided further (ex: in, come, -ing in “incoming”)
contains morphological rule and syntactical rules
what is interesting about children learning language?
- children learn language at an astonishing rate
- children make few errors while learning to speak compared to adults learning a new language
- childrens comprehension of language develops faster than their language production
what is telegraphic speech?
deviod of function morphemes and consists of content words
What age can people distinguish between all human phonemes
before 6 months of age
what comes first language comprehension or production
comprehension
what is linguistic relativity
proposal that the language we speak influences how we think about the world
what is a sensitive period
a phase where a child can most easily/is most likely to pick up a skill effectively
- it is easier to acquire language during this time
if you speak more than one language you score higher on IQ tests and are less susceptible to Alzheimers
True, it leads to an increase in grey matter
What is the behaviourist explanation for language
- language is learnt through operant conditioning and imitation
What are some of the concerns in relationship to the behaviourist explanation for language
- parents spend little time teaching language, kids generate more than what they hear, errors made cannot be explained through conditioning or imitation
What is the nativist explanation for language
language is innate/biological
what is the nativist language theory
language development is best explained as an innate biological capacity
what is universal grammar
collection of processes that facilitate language learning
What is the interactionist explanation for language
- social interactions play a crucial role in language
- social experience interacts with innate, biological abilities
What is brocas area responsible for
language production, located in the left frontal cortex
what is wernickes area responsible for
language comprehension, located in the left temporal cortex
what is aphasia
difficulty in producing or comprehending languge
what is brocas aphasia
difficulty speaking but what you say makes sense
what is wernickes aphasia
can speak but what you say doesnt make sense