Intro to Language Development Flashcards
What are four characteristic of language
System of symbols
Shared
Conventional
Tool for human communication
Morpheme
Smallest unit of language that carries meaning
Code
Translation of one type of information into another
ex: “happy” feeling->language
Referent
The aspect of the world to which the word refers
Is the relationship between a word and it’s referent arbitrary?
Yes- but code for words in sentences is not
Language community
Group using a common language.
First emerged in community of around 100 as a grooming bx to share social information- all language emerged from this
Why do language communities form?
Geographical (Ukraine)
Sociological (Hebrew)
Economical (WTO)
Language is conventional means…
It is specific, systematic, and rule governed to make it non random. Rules phrase, sentence, word structure
Communication
Process of sharing information among two or more persons (thoughts, feelings, ideas)
Can humans reason without language?
No. Language is 1st for cognition, 2nd for communication.
Modularity
Cognitive science theory about how the human mind is organized within structures of the brain. Asks whether brain is a generalized module where all parts work together to process information.
Module
Region of brain that responds to information of a specific type- are domain specific to process restricted information (ie depth perception in the visual system)
What are some examples of domain specific areas of brain?
Frontal lobe- grammar
SLI- verb tense impaired only- must be one part of brain
Are language, speech and communication synonymous?
No, language can be kept to self, or written. Speech can be said to no one.
Speech
4 Systems
Neuromuscular voluntary bx that allows humans to express language and is necessary for communication
Involves respiration, phonation, resonation, and articulation
Respiration
Breathe in and out of lungs to travel up trachea or windpipe
Phonation
Air moves through vocal chords- set into vibration to create voice
Resonation
Proceeds to oral/nasal cavities
Articulation
Air is manipulated by tongue, teeth, and jaw to form speech.
Why do we use speech?
Can communicate in dark, far distances, with hands occupied. It is a medium to share language.
Phoneme
Smallest unit of sound that signals a difference in meaning
Does language depend on speech?
No.
What is locked in syndrome?
Intact cognition with no voluntary movement- lang without speech
Hearing
Sensory system that allows speech to enter into and be processed by the human brain. AKA audition
Acoustics
4 events
The study of sound Creation of sound source- sets off vibrations Vibration of air particles Reception by the ear Comprehension by the brain
Pitch or freq.
How fast air particles move back and forth
Intensity
How far apart particles move when they move back and forth
Reception by Ear
Outer ear captures sound
Middle ear forwards info
Inner ear w/ cochlea
Travels up auditory nerve to auditory regions of brain
Speech Perception
How the brain processes language- not auditory perception ie clap or fan
How do infants learn to process speech?
Born with processing mechanisms that calibrate to reflect their language. Aided by auditory overshadowing
Auditory overshadowing
Bias toward audio over visual
Coarticulation
Overlap of phonemes in production of strings of sounds- ie coffee is k-a-f-e one word
Communication’s 4 Processes
Formulation
Transmission
Reception
Comprehension
Formulation
Process of pulling together thoughts or ideas for sharing with another
Transmission
Process of conveying ideas to another person
Reception
Process of receiving information from another
Comprehension
Process of making sense of a message
Symbolic communication/Referent communication
Arbitrary relationship between entity and it’s referent
ex: bottle means I want a drink
Preintentional Communication
Relationship between communicative bx and it’s referent is assumed by others
ex- crying= bottle
Intentional Communication/Iconic
Transparent/ not arbitrary relationship between message and it’s referent
ex- pointing to bottle
What are the three basic purposes of communication?
Request
Reject
Comment
All can be done without language
What are language’s essential components?
Sender
Receiver
Symbolic system
Feedback
Info provided by receiver to sender
Linguistic feedback
Spoken feedback
Extralinguistic feedback
Expression, posture, proximity, etc.
Paralinguistic Feedback
Pitch, loudness, pausing
What prevents communication breakdowns?
Feedback
What are the major domains of language?
Content
Form
Use
Content
Words we use and the meaning behind them
Lexicon
Vocabulary system
Contextualized language
Language that focuses on immediate context
ex: during a race “I won”
Decontextualized Language
Little reliance on context for relaying content
ex- phone call
Form
Sentence structure, phrase and clause usage, noun structures, word prefixes and suffixes and organization into words
Use
Draw upon language for needs- the intention behind utterance and how well it is achieved.
Analysis of use requires…
Understanding of context where language is occuring
Phonology
Governs sounds we use to make syllables and words. Form.
How many phonemes in English language
39- 15 vowels, 24 consonants
Allophones
Subtle variations of phonemes that occur due to contextual influences on how we produce phonemes in different words
Phonatics
Rules governing how sounds are organized in words for each language
Morphology
Govern internal organization of words- adds precision to language and expands vocabulary exponentially. Form
Syntax
Governs internal organization of sentences (Structure of utterances)
Form
Semantics
Govern meaning of individual words/word combinations- considers meaning of words and phrases
ex- gay has two meanings
Content
Pragmatics
Governs how language is used for social purposes- Language used for different functions and intentions
ex- don’t stand too close, take turns in conversation
Remarkable Features of Language
Rate of Acquisition Universality Species-Specificity Semanticity Productivity
Rate of Acquisition
1st 5-7 yrs are critical period for language- it is the window of opportunity for language to be learned rapidly and with greatest ease. Similar to songbird acquiring songs
Universality
All persons apply same cognitive infrastructure to task of learning language- how it is learned and milestone times invariant across world
Species Specificity
Human capacity/ No other animals have language
Non human communication is iconic, no combination of symbols
Semanticity
Decontextualized events
No boundaries of time or space
Arbitrary relationship between referent and language that describes it
ex- clock is known without picture
Productivity
Combination of small number of discrete units into infinite creations
Can produce endless ideas and constructions
Inherent to language in earliest acquisition
What are language differences and disorders?
Invariant path of language development
What are differences in language development caused by?
Gender, temperament, language learning environment, genetic predisposition, dialect, bilingualism
What are Disorders caused by?
Genetic predispositions, developmental disability, injury and illness
Milestones
Communication with words at 12 months
2 words 18 months
Adult like grammar by puberty
Influences: Dialect
Natural variation of language that evolves within cultural or geographic boundaries
Influences- Bilingualism
2 or more languages
Code switching- interchanges between syntax and vocabulary of languages being learned
Simultaneous vs Sequential Bilingualism
Simultaneous: @ same time
Sequential: add @ later time
Influences- Gender
Girls have advantage over boys:
Talk earlier
Develop vocab faster in second year
Boys have a greater chance of language impairment
Difference due to biology & environment- twin studies
Influences- Environment
Exerts influence on development. Neural architecture calibrated based on environmental input- form, content, and use exposed to.
Caregiver Responsiveness
Promptness, contingency, appropriateness of response to words or other means. Quality=Quantity
What are some traits of disorders?
Difficulties developing language
Milestones achieved slower
Longstanding difficulties with form/content/use
Specific Language Impairment
Depressed abilities without other impairment
7-10 percent of children affected
Most common for children
Most frequent cause for early intervention & special ed
Heritable
Developmental Disability
LI occurs with disability often Is a 2ndary disorder: 2nd to primary cause Intellectual disability ASD/Autism/Asp/PDD Childhood Disintegrative Disorder
Brain Injury
In utero
Perinatally
TBI- physical trauma, blunt to head, abuse, accident, falling, poison, car accident
Diffuse brain injury
Affecting large areas of brain
Focal
Affecting one specific brain region
Language
System of conventional spoken or written symbols used by people in a shared culture to communicate with one another
