ENGLISH UNIT 4 Flashcards
Instrumental
Language used to fulfil needs
Regulatory
Language used to give commands or make requests.
Interactional
Language used for social interaction
Personal
Language used to express feelings or emotions.
Heuristic
Language used to ask questions or explore the world.
Imaginative
Language used for creative play or storytelling.
Representational
Language used to convey information or describe events.
Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
The hypothetical brain mechanism that allows children to acquire language quickly.
Nativism
A theory created by Chomsky, that suggests children’s ability to create complex sentences (even novel ones) reflects their innate language capacity.
Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
The difference between what a child can do independently and what they can do with help.
Scaffolding
Support given by adults or peers to help the child perform tasks beyond their current abilities.
Operant Conditioning
Children’s language use is reinforced by positive feedback or correction.
Imitation
Children imitate the language they hear in their environment.
Reinforcement and Correction
Adults provide praise or correction to shape children’s language use.
Over-extension
Over-extension occurs when a child uses a word to describe a broader category than it is intended for (e.g., calling all animals “dog”).
Under-extension
Under-extension occurs when a child uses a word too narrowly (e.g., calling only their pet “dog” and not recognizing other dogs).
Behaviourism
Skinner’s behaviourism suggests that children learn language through repetition and reinforcement. The child imitates language they hear and is reinforced (positively or negatively) based on their verbal output.
Social Interaction - Vgotsky
Vygotsky argued that language development is deeply tied to social interaction. Language is acquired through communication with more knowledgeable others, whether adults or peers.
Motherese/Child-Directed Speech
Caregivers often modify their speech when talking to children, using simplified vocabulary, exaggerated intonation, and clear pronunciation to make language more accessible.
Tabula Rasa
Children are a blank slate, and their language development is shaped entirely by their interactions with the environment.
Cognitive Development - Piaget
Piaget’s theory posits that cognitive development influences language. Children’s mental structures (like understanding concepts of cause and effect) shape their ability to use language in more complex ways over time.
Sapir-Whorf Theory/ Linguistic Relativity
The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis states that the language you speak affects how you think and see the world.
Convergence
The adjustment of one speaker’s speech and behavior to become more similar to another’s, often to gain approval or facilitate communication.
Comprehension Precedes Production - Nativist
Children typically understand more language than they can produce.
Holographic Stage of Cognitive Development
A very early stage in language development where children use a single word to convey a whole idea or meaning, often reflecting a complex thought.
Two-Word Stage of Cognitive Development
A stage where children begin combining two words together to form simple phrases or sentences.
“want cookie” or “big truck.”
Telegraphic Stage of Cognitive Development
A stage in language development where children use short, concise phrases, typically containing only essential words.
(e.g., “Mommy go store”).
Post-Telegraphic Stage of Cognitive Development
A stage where children’s speech becomes more grammatically complex, and they start using a wider range of grammatical structures and function words.
Turn-talking
The process of alternating speech and listening during a conversation, allowing for smooth communication.
Abstract
A brief summary of the story’s main point or theme.
Example: “This is a story about a lost dog.”
Orientation
Provides key details about the story (who, what, where, when).
Example: “There was a dog named Max who lived in a small town.”
Complicating Action
Describes the events or actions that move the story forward.
Example: “One day, Max ran away from home and got lost.”
Resolution
Explains how the conflict or problem is resolved.
Example: “Max was found by a kind stranger and returned home.”
Evaluation
Reflects on the importance or significance of the events.
Example: “This shows that even when things seem bad, there is always hop
Coda
Brings the narrative back to the present, signaling the end of the story.
Example: “And now, Max is safe, lying peacefully in his bed.”
Labov’s Narrative Structure
A framework for analyzing oral narratives, comprising six key elements.
Nature-Nurture Debate
A discussion on the influence of genetics (nature) versus environment (nurture) in language acquisition.
Language Acquisition Support System (LASS)
Bruner’s concept of social interactions and contexts that help children learn language.
More Knowledgeable Peer (MKO)
A knowledgeable individual who aids a child’s learning by providing guidance and support.
Babbling
Repetitive consonant-vowel combinations produced by infants (e.g., “ba-ba”) as early speech precursors.
Telegraphic Utterances
Early two- to three-word phrases by children (e.g., “want cookie”) that convey meaning without grammar.
Reflexive Sounds
Initial involuntary sounds (cooing, crying) made by infants serving communicative purposes.
Bilabial Consonant
Consonant sounds produced using both lips (e.g., /p/, /b/, /m/).
Hyponyms
Specific words that fall under a broader category (e.g., “rose” as a hyponym of “flower”).
Manner of Articulation
The way airflow is modified in the vocal tract to produce different consonant types
Front Consonant
Consonants produced with the tongue at the front of the mouth
Back Consonant
Consonants made with the tongue at the back of the mouth (e.g., /k/, /g/).
Fricative Consonant
Sounds produced by forcing air through a narrow channel, creating turbulence (e.g., /f/, /v/, /s/).
Consonant Cluster
Two or more consonants appearing together in a word without vowels in between (e.g., “st” in “stop”).
Rhotic
Sounds, particularly “r,” characterized by a curled tongue pronunciation.
Hedging
Strategies to soften statements or make them less direct (e.g., “I think,” “maybe”).
Nouns
Names of people, places, things, or ideas.
teacher, city, book, freedom
Pronouns
Substitutes for nouns.
I, you, he, it, mine
Verb
Words expressing actions or states.
run, is, write, seem
Adjectives
Descriptors for nouns.
happy, blue, tall
Adverbs
Modifiers for verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
quickly, here, very
Prepositions
Words showing relationships between nouns/pronouns and other words.
in, on, at, about
Conjunctions
Words that connect clauses or phrases.
and, but, or, because
Interjections
Words expressing emotions or reactions.
wow!, ouch!, hey!
Bryant et al. (1989) (Case Study for Phonology)
Found a correlation between rhyming ability in preschool children and later reading proficiency.
Refer to ZPD - scaffolding
Caregiver support (scaffolding) helps children develop phonological awareness.
Beck & McKeown (2001) (Vocabulary Expansion Case Study)
Interactive reading with rich vocabulary increased word learning by 30% compared to passive listening.
Refer to Bruner’s LASS
Language development is supported through structured social interactions (e.g., reading with caregivers).
Hayes & Ahrens (1988) (Grammar and Syntax Development Case Study)
Shows that children’s books contain 50% more rare words compared to everyday speech
Chomsky’s LAD
Children naturally internalize grammar rules through exposure to language, such as books.
Hirsh-Pasek & Golinkoff (1996) (Real-Word Interaction Case Study)
Found that direct caregiver-child interaction had a stronger effect on vocabulary growth than book exposure alone.
Piaget’s Cognitive Development Theory
Active engagement and interaction are crucial for cognitive and language development.
Hart & Risley (1995) (Socio-Economic Factors Case Study)
Found that children from wealthier families hear 30 million more words by age 3, affecting vocabulary growth.
Bernstein’s Restricted and Elaborated Code
Limited exposure to formal language in lower-income families impacts literacy outcomes.
Bernstein’s Restricted & Elaborated Code
Bernstein argued that children exposed to elaborated code (more formal language typically used in middle-class households) have an advantage in literacy development.
Restricted Code
Informal, often used in working-class settings, with simpler vocabulary and syntax.
Elaborated Code
More formal language, with complex vocabulary and syntax, typically used in middle-class or formal settings.
McNair (2016) (Cultural Bias Case Study)
Found that children engage more with books that reflect their own cultural experiences.
Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
Language and culture shape thought; books that reinforce dominant cultural norms can limit a child’s worldview.
Cultural Bias in Books
Books often reflect Western middle-class norms, which may not represent all children’s experiences.
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Lack of cultural diversity in books may alienate children from different backgrounds.
Socio-Economic Barriers to Book Exposure
Limited access to books in low-income families affects vocabulary development.
Children from lower-income families often hear fewer words than those from wealthier families.
Real Word Interactions vs. Book Exposure
Language learning is more effective through active conversation than passive listening to books.
Real-life interaction teaches pronunciation and conversational fluency better than books.
Grammar and Syntax Development
Understanding and using correct sentence structures and grammatical rules.
Books expose children to consistent syntax (subject-verb-object).
Vocabulary Expansion
Exposure to a wider range of words than in daily conversations.
Books often contain more complex and rare vocabulary.
Phonological Awareness
Ability to recognize and manipulate sounds in language (e.g., rhymes, syllables, phonemes).
Rhyming books like The Cat in the Hat.
