Chapter 9 - Language

Question 1

Psycholinguistics

Answer 1

The psychology of our language as it interacts with the human mind, considering both production and comprehension of language.

Question 2

Common properties of language

Answer 2

Language is:

1. Communicative
2. Arbitrarily Symbolic
3. Regularly structured
4. Structured at multiple levels
5. Productive/generative
6. Dynamic.

Question 3

Phoneme

Answer 3

The smallest unit of speech that can be used to distinguish one utterance from another (i. e vowels and consonants).

Question 4

Morpheme

Answer 4

The smallest unit of meaning in a given language (i. e roots, prefixes, suffixes etc)

Question 5

Lexicon

Answer 5

The total amount of morphemes in a given language or in a person’s vocabulary.

Question 6

Syntax

Answer 6

The study of meaningful sequencing of words in a phrase/sentence.

Question 7

Views of speech perception

Answer 7

1. Ordinary - speech perception follows the same processes and rules as other auditory perception.
2. Special - speech perception is separate and unique from other forms of auditory perception.

Question 8

Phonemic restoration

Answer 8

We integrate what we already know with what we hear. in order to make sense of a degraded signal.

Question 9

Categorical perception

Answer 9

Continuous speech sounds are perceived as discontinuous/distinct.

Question 10

McGurk effect

Answer 10

When the sound we hear does not fit the mouth movements of the speaker, we perceive a compromise sound. The visual information a person gets from seeing a person speak changes the way they hear the sound. If a person is getting poor quality auditory information but good quality visual information, they may be more likely to experience the McGurk effect.

Question 11

Semantics

Answer 11

The study of meaning in a language.

Question 12

Denotation

Answer 12

Dictionary definition.

Question 13

Connotation

Answer 13

Overtone, nonexplicit meanings - varies with culture etc.

Question 14

Mental lexicon

Answer 14

Our internal store of morphemes, containing both words and meanings.

Question 15

Grammar

Answer 15

The study of language in ters of noticing regular patterns, relating to the functions and relationships of words in a sentence.

Question 16

Prescriptive grammar

Answer 16

Prescribing the correct way to structure language.

Question 17

Descriptive grammar

Answer 17

Describing the structures, functions, and relationships of words (how they are, not how they should be).

Question 18

Syntactical priming

Answer 18

We tend to read sentences faster if they parallel the syntactical structure of a sentence we just heard or read.

Question 19

PhRase-structure grammar

Answer 19

Analyzes sentences in terms of the hierarchical relationships among words in phrases.

Question 20

Transformational grammar

Answer 20

Analyzes sentences in terms of transformational rules that describe interrelationships among the structures of multiple sentences, not just the words within one sentence. Pioneered by Noam Chomsky.

Question 21

Deep structure

Answer 21

The underlying logical relationships of the elements of a phrase or sentence.

Question 22

Surface structure

Answer 22

Various phrase structures resulting from deep structures - different ways to convey the same meaning.

Question 23

Lexical access

Answer 23

The identification of a word that allows us to retrieve the meaning of it.

Question 24

Dyslexia

Answer 24

Dyslexia is characterized by impaired reading ability despite normal intelligence and cognitive function. It can be developmental or acquired. Processes impaired in dyslexia include phonological awareness (recognition of sounds), phonological reading (reading words without context), phonological coding (storing phonemes in working memory correctly), and lexical access.

Question 25

Thematic roles

Answer 25

Ways in which items can be used in the context of communication, including the roles of agents, patients, beneficiaries, instruments, locations, sources, and goals.

Question 26

Coarticulation

Answer 26

A conceptually isolated speech sound is influenced by, and becomes more like, a preceding or following speech sound.

Question 27

Lexical processes

Answer 27

Used to identify letters and words, and activate relevant information in memory.

Question 28

Comprehension processes

Answer 28

Used to make sense of the text as a whole.

Question 29

Discourse

Answer 29

Units of language larger than individual sentences - conversations, essays, textbooks, lectures etc.

Question 30

Function morphemes

Answer 30

A functional morpheme (as opposed to a content morpheme) is a morpheme which simply modifies the meaning of the word, rather than supplying the root meaning of the word. That is to say that it functions, but does not mean in and of itself, but rather encodes grammatical meaning.

Question 31

Communication

Answer 31

Exchange of thoughts and feelings.

Question 32

Referent

Answer 32

The concept in the real world that a word/symbol refers to.

Question 33

Word-superiority effect

Answer 33

Letters are read more easily when they are embedded in meaningful words than when they are isolated and do not form words.