Language

Question 1

The word used to represent an object is not constrained by any characteristics of the thing itself, allowing the word chosen to be completely arbitrary.

Answer 1

Arbitrary Association

Question 2

Infants begin cooing at around 12 weeks, making sounds that combine consonants with ‘oo’ and ‘ah’ sounds.

Answer 2

Cooing

Question 3

Words that children can actually speak.

Answer 3

Expressive Vocabulary

Question 4

When children learn the meaning of a word after only 1 or 2 encounters with it.

Answer 4

Fast Mapping

Question 5

Refers to the rules that govern how we put words together to form a sentence. Differences in grammatical rules between languages are common.

Answer 5

Grammar

Question 6

When a child uses a single word to indicate the meaning of an entire sentence.

Answer 6

Holophrastic Phase

Question 7

When people talk to infants, they tend to speak in a higher pitch and exaggerate changes in pitch and use of rhythm. The exaggerated changes in pitch used in infant-directed speech help 6-7-month-olds discriminate between different vowel sounds, possibly helping them learn the categories of vowel sounds that are present in their native language.

Answer 7

Infant-Directed Speech

Question 8

An innate mechanism of language acquisition proposed by Noam Chomsky.

Answer 8

Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

Question 9

In oral languages, morphemes are the smallest units of sound that contain information. In a sign language, morphemes are units of signs rather than units of sound.

Answer 9

Morphemes

Question 10

Also called Word Spurts. A rapid expansion of vocabulary seen between the ages of 18-24 months.

Answer 10

Naming Explosion

Question 11

An exception to the arbitrary nature of language where the sound of the word is associated with its meaning. The sounds of the words are not set arbitrarily but attempt to imitate natural sounds to reflect their meaning.

Answer 11

Onomatopoeia

Question 12

Errors that involve using a fairly specific word for a broader set of related items.

Answer 12

Overextensions

Question 13

Syntactic errors that involve using a grammatical rule too broadly.

Answer 13

Overregularizations

Question 14

The process where one loses the ability to distinguish between contrasts in sounds not used in one’s native language.

Answer 14

Perceptual Narrowing

Question 15

The smallest unit of sound in a language.

Answer 15

Phonemes

Question 16

The skills that allow children to communicate appropriately and effectively in a social situation, such as taking turns during a conversation.

Answer 16

Pragmatics

Question 17

Language is designed to use a small number of components to produce and understand a wide range of symbols. Language has a limited set of rules that can be used to combine a limited set of symbols in infinite ways.

Answer 17

Productive

Question 18

Words that children can understand but may not yet speak. Receptive vocabulary develops well before expressive vocabulary.

Answer 18

Receptive Vocabulary

Question 19

The infinite combinations of symbols are constrained by the rules of each language. For example, each oral language has its own set of rules about which phonemes can occur in succession.

Answer 19

Rule-Governed

Question 20

The idea that language may influence how we perceive and experience the world.

Answer 20

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

Question 21

Refers to the meaning of a word. Semantics can also refer to the fact that we are able to understand different meanings for a word depending on the context in which it is presented.

Answer 21

Semantics

Question 22

Begins between 18-24 months. Infants use short phrases that contain only the most crucial information they are trying to communicate, much like those that would be used if you were sending someone a telegram.

Answer 22

Telegraphic Speech

Question 23

Consistent letter-to-sound correspondence, so that a given letter will always make the same sound.

Answer 23

Transparent Orthographies

Question 24

Where a general term is used for only a very particular instance of an item. Less common than overextensions.

Answer 24

Underextension

Question 25

The ability to discriminate between virtually all phonemes of all languages. This is an ability that is lost into adulthood (see: perceptual narrowing).

Answer 25

Universal Phonemic Sensitivity