Language Flashcards
What does it mean that language is multi-purpose?
- Express needs ~instrumental
- Tell others what to do ~regulatory
- Form relationships with others ~interactional
- Express one’s identity or state of mind ~personal
- Gain knowledge about the environment ~heuristic
- Tell stories and create imaginary environments ~imaginative
- Convey facts and information ~representational
What are the smallest units of sound called? How many are there?
Phonemes, there are 44 in English & 869 have been identified
What are the smallest units of language that carry meaning?
Morphemes
What is grammar?
Language’s set of rules that enable people to communicate
What does it meant that language is alive and evolving?
the number of words in the English language have grown exponentially
What are the stages of language development in infancy?
- Babbling: sounds become increasingly matched to phonemes of native language
- One-Word stage
- Two-Word stage
- Telegraphic stage
- Beyond telegraphic
What is “vocabulary explosion”?
an acceleration in the rate at which children acquire new words (occurs at 18-months)
What does the theory of universal grammar argue?
that humans have an innate predisposition to learn grammar rules
Why is language not uniquely human and yet uniquely human?
Language is not uniquely human if we mean verbal or signed expressions of complex grammar, but humans are the only species that has a gene that coordinates the movements of the lip, tongue, and vocal cord.
Do bilinguals have advantages over people who speak only one language?
Yes, they have better…
- cognitive flexibility
- social skills
- ability to preserve a healthy brain
Is it better to focus on your desired destination or on how to reach a goal?
it is better to spend time planning how to reach your goal rather than your desired destination
