Chapter One- Introduction to Language Development

Question 1

What are the key components in the definition of language?

Answer 1

1. System: a shared code of understanding of the rules of the language, all languages have rules
2. Symbols- words, written, signs
3. Purpose- communicate needs and wants, and to connect with others
4. Generativity- can create new sentences, infinite number

Question 2

What is Receptive Language and give an example

Answer 2

The understanding and comprehension of language

eg. following directions or understanding a question

Question 3

What is Expressive Language and give an example

Answer 3

what you say or do to communicate, this is the production of language
eg. requesting for more of something, using vocabulary, using grammar, word order

Question 4

What is Social Language and give an example

Answer 4

The rules for social interaction

eg. turn-taking, acknowledgement, greetings

Question 5

Explain the universality of language

Answer 5

-language is a characteristic of the human species, all human children have the capacity to acquire language

Question 6

What is speech?

Answer 6

• speech is the exchange of information through speaking or talking.
• The neuromuscular act of talking
• human vocal tract is unique and converts breathe into sounds

Question 7

What is language?

Answer 7

• language is the systematic and conventional use of sounds (or signs or written symbols) for the purpose of communication or self expression.

Question 8

What is communication ? What are the 3 requirements of communication?

Answer 8

Communication is a broad term that includes linguistic and non-linguistic communication

• this requires a sender and receiver
• the shared intent to communicate
• share means of communication

Question 9

What are the 5 elements of language?

Answer 9

1. Phonology
2. Morphology
3. Syntax
4. Semantics/ Lexicon
5. Pragmatics

Question 10

Define and give an example of morphology

Answer 10

Morphology: is the system of rules for combining the smallest units of language into words, this is grammar

eg. past tense, adding /s/ to the end of a word
- adding /s/ or -ed to the end of a word is an example of a morpheme

Question 11

Define and give an example of syntax

Answer 11

Syntax: the component of grammar that governs the ordering of words in a sentence (word order)
eg. knowing that “ran I to store”

Question 12

Define and give an example of semantics/ lexicon

Answer 12

• this is the mental storage of words

eg. knowing the meanings of words and how to form new words

Question 13

Define and give an example of pragmatics

Answer 13

• the transmittal of information to others in socially appropriate ways, these are our social language skills
  eg. making requests, comments, narratives

Question 14

The importance of cognition in language development

Answer 14

cognition and social interaction are both necessary of language development

• attention: to words and sounds, if there is no attention you cannot understand
• memory: as memory increases, language increases
• word knowledge: make new words as you learn about the world
• executive functioning: ability to control many brain functions at once

Question 15

The importance of social interaction in language development

Answer 15

cognition and social interaction are both necessary for language development

• serve and return: listening and responding
• getting what you want and need
• motivation and learning

Question 16

What is the timeline of language development (chronological overview)

Answer 16

• Language development begins around 7 months in utero and makes rapid development through preschool years (until age 5) though language development never ends
• children typically get their first word around 1 years of age
• children typically reach major milestones at similar ages and in the same order

Question 17

What are the nature impacts on language development ?

Answer 17

• the parts of language that is accounted for directly by the child
• Nativist theory: there is a pre existing structure in the brain that allows children to learn language

Question 18

What are the nurture impacts on language development ?

Answer 18

• the part of language that is accounted for by their life experiences with language
• Empiricist theory: the mind is a blank slate and all knowledge comes from experience.

Question 19

What did we learn from “Wild Children”?

Answer 19

• wild children: are children that are raised in social and linguistic isolation
  eg.
  1. Wild boy of Aveyron- lived in the woods alone till age 12 and could not speak (1800)
  2. Genie- locked in her room by her parents for the first 13 years of her life she was not able to use the washroom alone or speak
  -findings from these studies suggested that there is a critical period where there is a critical window of time where learning language needs to happen or they will not be able to learn language at all

Question 20

What is the Language Acquisition Device? Who created it?

Answer 20

• LAD: everything that is part of the adults knowledge of language (ie. the output of the device) must be in the input, be in the internal device, or somehow result from the way the device operates on the input it receives
• Noam Chomsky (focused on grammar)
• internal mental structure that functions like a device (something in the brain focuses on this)

Question 21

Patricia Kuhl’s Study: The linguistic genius of babies

Answer 21

• what is learnt in the first years of the child’s life is built on in the future

Question 22

what is the Behaviourist Theory

Answer 22

• all aspects of behaviour, including language, can and must be explained by focusing on observable and measurable aspects of behaviour
• learning behaviour is through relating stimuli to responses (seeing a ball and hearing the word ball)
• children hear words through imitation
• parents reinforce their childs attempts to speak
• blank slates
• imitation does not work

Question 23

what is the Generativist Theory

Answer 23

• language Is too complex and fragmented for children to be able to figure out and teach themselves