Child Language Accquisition Flashcards
Lennenberg’s Criteria for Language Acquisition
- Biologically-Determined Behaviour (BDB) is attributed to instincts
- Genes are programmed
- Biological innateness of psychological capacity
- Development is universal
- Language does not develop through learning
- Consistent, predictable steps / milestones
BDB Schedule
- Developments may occur early
- Steps / milestones
- Must develop during critical period, or not at all
Does language really emerge before necessary?
5 Year olds have nearly complete understanding of their language, save vocab. This ability exceeds their needs.
Critical Period
- Behaviour emerges at critical periods, according to Lenneberg
- If an external stimulus is needed, it must not come too early or too late
Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH)
Native acquisition of a language is only possible before puberty
Evidence of CPH
- First language completely mastered by puberty, save vocab
- Feral children (Genie) never acquiring language “properly”
Peter the Wild Boy
- Found at 12 in the woods in Germany
- Was never able to speak
Victor
- Found alone in a forest around age 11 in France
- Learned only simple words
Genie
- Found in L.A at 13.5 years old
- Confined in closet tied to potty-chair
- Punished for making noise
- Successful vocab acquisition, no grammar structure
Isabelle
- Similar background to Genie, found at 6.5
- Fairly ok language acquisition, struggles with grammar
Feral Children may provide evidence for:
-critical periods of language
or
-wild animals / psychotic parents are not conductive to normal linguistic development
Forbidden Experiment
- Intentionally deprive children of linguistic experience
- Rest of environment is normal
Lennebergs Criteria for Instincts
- Everyone develops instinctive behaviour
- Emerges without knowing
- Emerges regardless of deficits in environmentl or development
Does everyone acquire language?
Yes:
- Every community has language
- Language can be swapper
- No primitive language
Williams Syndrome
- Deletion of segment within 7th chromosome
- Friendly, fond of music, excellent language ability
