chapter 9: language & thought Flashcards
language
the grouping of spoken, written, or gestured symbols used to convey information
productivity
the creation of new messages, humans can connect unrelated information to form new ideas or messages
Koshik the elephant
mimics sounds (Korean) that he overheard, doesn’t have meanings to him
tonal languages
- rely on changes in pitch to alter a word’s meaning (Mandarin)
- children become skilled at detecting pitch differences and are more likely to exhibit perfect pitch then those exposed to intonation language
intonation languages
uses pitch to convey feelings (English)
stages of language acquisitions
- 3 months old, narrowing of perception, show the ability to connect speech sounds with objects
- 8 months old, babies show a declined ability to distinguish between sounds not commonly used in their native language
grammar
refers to the systematic rules of a language
syntax
structure and consistent ordering of words within a language
birth to 3 months
babies would have started orienting to sounds in the environment, making cooing and gurgling sounds, and crying due to needs
4 to 6 months
babies crying expressively, responding to name and making early vowel and consonant sounds, starting to mimic sounds
7 to 18 months
able to copying hand gestures with meanings, responding to simple commands, mimic words not just sounds, able to use simple one-word phrases, less sensitive to non-native vowel and consonant sounds
2 to 3 years
able to match objects to names, to use 2-4 word sentences to communicate, to follow multi-step instructions and prepositions
4 to 5 years
correctly using simple grammar rules, memorized and recited simple songs, using full sentences to tell stories, able to draw pictures and elaborate on meanings behind image
how is grammar and syntax different
the rules of grammar include the meaning of words, the internal structure of words, and the arrangement of words
syntax rules are only concerned with the order of words
B.F. Skinner
- major figure for championing the study of observable behaviours
- argued that environmental influences strongly dictated language development
Noam Chomsky
urged for the consideration of biological constraints on language development
verbal behaviour
ideas from B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning are applied to language to focus on language as a form of behaviour, posits that language is formed from a series of reinforcements (strengthened and weakened based on consequences)
when do babies become “expert” in language
as early as 3 years old
what are some environmental factors that affect the development of language
rewards and punishments, tone adults use, parental behaviour and styles
nativism
the belief that certain abilities are built into our brains
language acquisition device (LAD)
a hypothetical mechanism in the brain responsible for the faculty of language
critical period
a theoretical stage in development when it is necessary for children to receive environmental stimulation in order to promote healthy development
language learning curve
relatively slow period of acquisition until the age of 7-12 months, and shift to absorb words at a lightning pace until around age 5
sensitive period
throughout development, the neurological system is more malleable during early development but is still modifiable later in life with the proper environmental stimulation
innate factors that influence language development
brain appear “ready” to acquire language at birth, noun bias, grammar, gesturing order
SOV and SVO
subject-object-verb and subject-verb-object order that seems to be innate in humans
development of Nicaraguan Sign Language
used to examine a genetic predisposition to create language, but its advancement highlights the impact of environmental influences
what we learned from the nature-nurture debate
human language is a dynamic interaction between inherited biology, environmental factors, and social pressures
emergentist perspective
attempts to integrate the nativist and environmentalist approaches to explain the complexities of language
nativist approach
focus heavily on how an inherited speech bias and early flexibility prepare us to learn language