Kap 8. Language Development Flashcards
Phonology
Deals with the sound patterns in language
Phonemes: smallest unit of sound that creates differences in meaning (hat versus cat versus cot)
Semantics
Deals with facts in language
- Lexicon: set of known words
- Morpheme: smallest unit of language that carries meaning, e.g., cat, -ed, -s
Pragmatics
Deals with the intended meaning of language, and goes beyond the literal meaning
Q: “Do you like my haircut?” A: “I like your shoes.”
Syntax
Deals with the ordering of language
“The dog chased the cat” versus “The cat chased the dog”
Components of Language
- Phonology
- Semantics
- Syntax
- Pragmatics
Word segmentation
is the process of identifying individual words in a continuous stream of speech
Newborns can use both statistical information and prosodic contours to segment
continuous speech into words
* They can extract phonological information from the speech stream, retain it in short-term
memory, and recognize it in a different context
- Which cues could help word segmentation?
Statistical regularities
- refer to patterns in speech, such as how often certain sounds or syllables occur together, helping infants recognize word boundaries.
Prosody
- involves the rhythm, stress, and intonation of speech, which provides additional cues for identifying where words begin and end.
Discovering the Meaning of Words
Associative learning theory
Constraints theory
Social-pragmatic theory
Associative learning theory
Learning words is the same as
learning everything else
Associating sounds with salient
aspects of perceptual experience
Constraints theory
Children are equipped with certain
biases about potential word
meanings: whole-object constraint,
principle of extendibility, and
principle of categorical scope
Social-pragmatic theory
The process of word learning is a
form of social learning
Some associative learning + some
(not necessarily language-specific)
constraints + detection of the
speaker’s intention
Theories of Language Acquisition
Behaviorist approach
* Language learning occurs in response to parental and societal reinforcement
* Inner working of the child’s mind is not as important as studying the child–adult pattern of speech reinforcement
Connectionist approach
* Language learning occurs through the construction of networks of associations
* The human brain operates like a computer
Statistical learning approach
* Language learning occurs through tracking probabilities of (sequences of) linguistic events
Nativist approaches
* Language learning occurs with the help of specialized language acquisition mechanisms
Domain-
specific
Domain-specific dimensions refer to skills, knowledge, or processes that apply to a specific area or task, such as understanding math concepts or learning to play the piano. These are specialized and not easily transferable to other areas.
Domain-general dimensions
Domain-general dimensions, on the other hand, involve abilities or processes that apply broadly across various tasks and areas, such as working memory, problem-solving, or attention. These are flexible and can support learning or performance in multiple contexts
Vygotsky
emphasized how early development occurs through parental instruction and interaction with social enviroments
