Child Development - Language Flashcards
What 4 things does a proficient user of language have a knowledge of?
Phonology
Semantics
Syntax
Pragmatics
Define phonology
Sound system associated with a language and the rules used to combine the units of sound - relationships between speech sounds that form meaningful speech
e.g. st or sk work in english but sb or sg wouldn’t
Define semantics
The expressed MEANING of words and sentences
Define syntax
The form of structure of a language; uses combination rules that form meaningful sentences
Define pragmatics
Rules about language in social context - what to say and how to say it e.g. please and thank you
What are morphemes?
The smallest linguistic units that carry meaning e.g. in - come - ing = incoming
What age is the pre-linguistic period?
0-12 months
What 3 forms of vocalisation occur in the pre-linguistc period of development? What age is this?
0-12 months
crying
cooing
babbling
At what age will a baby start to coo?
3-5 weeks
at what age will a baby start to babble?
3-4 months
What is an important feature of the pre-linguistic period? Why is this important?
Dialogue being returned by adults , which helps the child to learn other features such as turn taking and intonation
What language skills does a child learn by 8-12 months?
associating objects with names
verbal labels
What 2 language skills does a child learn by 18 months?
true symbolic representation
words as substitutes for objects
What does a child at 18 months tend to do when using words as representations of objects?
overextend
e.g. “doggy” is any four legged animal
What type of speech occurs at 18-24 months?
Telegraphic speech
What is telegraphic speech? When does it occur?
Starting to put words together to form small sentences to communicate
“more cereal”
“all gone”
“water off”
18-24 months
When do children start to add complexity to speech?
2 years +
Give 3 ways children start to add complexity to speech at 2+ years
adding verbs
compound sentences
past tense
What language skills are gained between 3-5 years? What does this show the emergence of?
interest in rhymes and songs
commentaries during play
pre-sleep monologues
NARRATIVE
At what age does a child start to use a narrative?
3-5 years
What are the two different modes of thought?
Propositional - verbal language
Imaginal - visual imagery
How is language conceptualised and categorised?
Prototypes - grouping things together
Core properties
Hierarchies of concepts
What is Skinner’s view of language acquisition?
Language is learned through imitation and progressive reinforcement
What increases how quickly children will learn language?
Social input from adults
One-to-one sessions with a sensitive adult
Give 4 important factors for interaction to help children learn language?
Adopting helpful speech styles
Attention eliciting techniques (ask them questions)
Timing of verbal input (when child is interested or tired)
Child-directed speech (change phonetics, smaller words, smaller sentences)
What is motherese?
Using child directed speech - changing phonetics (high pitched), shortening sentences etc
Is social interaction and language acquisition necessary or just pleasurable?
Unsure
What is Chomsky’s language acquisition theory?
Language acquisition device - part of the brain is devoted to language and there are innate shared linguistic principles; everyone will produce language
Who believes that language is biologically programmed?
Chomsky
What does spontaneity of language mean? Who’s theory does this support?
Children reinvent language generation after generation - children in poverty without a natural language will develop their own language
This supports Chomsky’s theory of a language acquisition device
What is the critical period for language?
Before age 12 - child will become bilingual with no language.
Who came up with the critical period hypothesis?
Lenneberg
What is different between animal and human communication?
poor syntax (esp. word order) Basic acquisition of language skills (mainly telegraphic speech when taught)
Do deaf children with deaf parents reach milestones at the same time as hearing parents?
yes
Do deaf children with hearing parents reach milestones as easily?
No - social and clinical consequences
Define expressive aphasia
Damage to Broca’s area
Speech halting, hesitance, difficulty finding words
comprehension (understanding) is largely unimpaired
Define receptive aphasia
Damage to Wenicke’s area
Speech is fluent, gramatical, but no content and its nonsense
Comprehension (understanding) is seriously impaired
Define aphasia
Complex language and communication disorder caused by damage to language centres (Broca’s area or Wernicke’s area)
What does Broca’s area do?
Words are prepared to speech
What does Wernicke’s area do?
Comprehension
What is a lexigram?
A symbol that represents a word
