Language Flashcards
define language?
A system of symbols, sounds, meanings and rules of
combination that allows for communication among
humans.
- communicative.
- arbitrary (nothing about the word cat which means cat)
- dynamic (changing all the time)
- meaningfully structured (rules allow us to put sound and words together)
- multiplicity of structure.
- is productive
words are broken down into ____ which are broken down into _____
morpheme; phoneme
phoneme?
smallest unit of sound affecting speech -> changes in phonemes produce changes in meaning
morpheme?
smallest unit of language which contains meaning
may be a word or part of a word (prefix)
grammar - syntax?
rules for organizing phrases and sentences
grammar - surface structure?
order of words in a sentence
grammar - deep structure?
underlying meaning of a sentence
grammar - semantics?
rules about meaning
different infant vocalizations?
- cooing
- syllables
- reduplicative
- conversational babbling
babbling?
- begin between 3 and 4 months
- infant spontaneously utters various sounds
- not an imitation of adult speech
one word stage?
1-2 years old
mostly single words
intitial words learnt slowly then vocabulary spurt
two word stage?
begins at 2
mostly 2 word statements “telegraphic speech”
child acquires most grammar rules by age __
5
language development - case for nurture?
- skinner
- children imitate utterances of parents
- association, imitiation and reinforncement help language develop
- parents use positive reinforcement to shape or teach language
language development - case for nature?
- Chomsky
- rate of language acquisition too quick to be by learning principles (association, imitiation, reinforcemnt)
- born with anatomical structures for speech
- “language acquisition device” - innate neural structures for acquiring language
- inborn universal grammar
