goblin revision Flashcards
What is the genetic basis for language?
Universal grammar
Universal grammar refers to the theory that the ability to acquire language is innate to humans.
What does syntax in language refer to?
Hierarchy and structure of sentences
Syntax involves the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences.
What is meant by ‘deep structure’ in linguistics?
Meaning derived from the underlying structure of sentences
Deep structure is a theoretical construct that represents the core semantic relations of a sentence.
What are constituents in language?
Words or groups of words that function as a single unit
Constituents can be phrases or individual words that contribute to the structure of a sentence.
What are generative grammars?
Systems that describe the syntactic structure of language
Generative grammars provide rules for generating sentences in a language.
In syntax, what do NP and VP stand for?
Noun Phrase (NP) and Verb Phrase (VP)
NP consists of a noun and its modifiers, while VP contains the verb and its complements.
What is the Ganong effect?
A phenomenon in speech perception where a phoneme’s categorization is influenced by the context
The Ganong effect illustrates how context can affect the perception of ambiguous sounds.
What does ‘phoneme restoration’ refer to?
The process of perceiving missing phonemes in speech due to context
Listeners often fill in gaps in speech based on contextual information.
What is the McGurk Effect?
A perceptual phenomenon where conflicting audio and visual components affect speech perception
The McGurk Effect demonstrates the integration of auditory and visual information in understanding speech.
What is segmentation in the context of spoken language?
The process of identifying word boundaries in continuous speech
Segmentation is crucial for understanding spoken language as it typically does not have clear pauses between words.
What is ‘code switching’?
The practice of alternating between two or more languages or dialects in conversation
Code switching often occurs in bilingual or multilingual speakers.
What is the Critical Period of Language Acquisition?
A time frame during which language acquisition occurs most easily
After this period, acquiring a language can become significantly more difficult.
What are the Crystallisation and Interference hypotheses?
Theories regarding language acquisition and retention
Crystallisation posits that language skills become fixed, while interference suggests that learning a new language can disrupt the first language.
What does the Revised Hierarchical Model address?
The organization of bilingual lexical knowledge
This model suggests that bilinguals access their languages differently based on their proficiency.
What is the purpose of template matching in word recognition?
To match perceived words to stored representations
Template matching involves recognizing words by comparing them to known patterns.
What are word superiority effects?
The phenomenon where letters are recognized more accurately when part of a word than in isolation
This effect highlights the influence of context on letter recognition.
What is the difference between direct and indirect routes in word recognition?
Direct routes involve accessing meaning immediately, while indirect routes involve phonological processing first
These routes represent different cognitive processes in recognizing and understanding words.
What are ERPs in language processing?
Event-Related Potentials, which are brain responses measured during cognitive tasks
ERPs help researchers understand the timing and processing of language in the brain.
What does N400 refer to in language neuroscience?
An ERP component associated with semantic processing
The N400 is typically elicited by words that are semantically incongruent with their context.
What are neighborhood effects in language?
Influences of words that are similar in phonological structure
Neighborhood effects can affect word recognition and processing speed.
