Intro to Lang + processing Flashcards
Language
- uniquely human
- all humans have it
- easily learned by children
- critical evolutionary step -> makes us distinct
-best expression of the power of human mind - comes easy to most of us but can be lost, not fully dev, not learnt
Natural Language
- communication system of arbitrary signs
- communication = exchange of info
Arbitrary signs
- spoken, written words
- No intrinsic relation between sign + its reference
-no connection between sign/ word + reference/thing - No logical reason why apple is called apple
- most words are arbitrary = causes learning problem
Non-arbitrary signs
- road signs
-intrinsically related due to shape of it
-onomatopoeia- > sound of word relates to thing ( moo = cow)
communication system
- set of shared rules that establish systematic mapping between words + world
- rules are implicit + established by common use
-learned very early on
characteristics of natural Ianguage
-Hockett gave properties to human lang
- semanticity -> reference
- Displacement -> talk about non-present/ actual things (future)
- cultural transmission/ learnable
-Discreteness -> linguistic units (words) distinct
-productivity -> new words + meanings created (recursive rule)
-Duality of patterning-> meaningless sounds combined to produce meaningful words
- combination of units at several levels -> word-parts combine into words/sentences requires a syntax (rules)
comprehension definition
- mapping word sounds to stored meanings
recognising sounds + words - comprehension 1
-k- a- t = cat not pat or pal
- Brain damage = difficulty recognising
- Joey’s problem= when letters are combined Can’t recognise but can write the word -inability to repeat meaningless sounds
- phonological processing issues
Acessing/retrieving meaning of word-comprehension 2
- cat -> domestic animal
- SD struggle with this
combining words into messages - comprehension 3
-establishing. relationships between words
- Aphasia = lang impairment due to damage in Brocka’s area
Production
- Fluent speech takes longer than comprehension
- learning a 2nd lang: understand more than can speak fluently
-make lots of errors when speaking
production/speaking stages
1 ) retrieving words from memory
- Tip of tongue phenomena + aphasia
2) putting words together
3) fine- grained motor planning
-Dev verbal apraxia + aphasia
structured patterns + Chomsky
- children’s miracvious acquisition of lang is a reason to suspect learning lang is guided by some innate knowledge
- children don’t learn by having rules explicitly taught to them - intuit structures
- Chomsky -> problem of learning lang structure is similar to Plato’s classic díalogues
- children know things about lang they. aren’t taught
Recursive power of syntax
- Allow linguistic objects of same kind (John’s brother) to be nestled within each other (the girl who lives next door to John’s brother )
-recursion nesting of related clauses/other linguistic units within each other - Allows infinite array of meanings
- unique to humans
Are we wired for lang structure? + universal grammar
- Not born with a specific lang
- Chomsky -> pre-packaged with knowledge of structures of lang
- child born with universal grammar = innately understood system of combining linguistic units constraints structural patterns of all lang
criticisms of universal grammar
- underestimate children’s ability to learn structure on basis of input
- some knowledge can be applied to non-linguistics too
- some knowledge available to other animals too
-Not lang specific - Alternative = lang similarities come from strong constraints on how human cog works that moulds lang
