Language Flashcards
Symbols, sound, meanings in combination that allows for communication among humans is known as
Language:
Language development is a result of an interaction of:
nature and nurture.
The Whorfian hypothesis of _____ _____ argued that language shapes thought
- For example, the Hanunoo people of the Philippines have 92 names for rice which allows them to think about rice in more complex ways than Australians and New Zealanders.
linguistic relativity
Language facilitates the expression of complex concepts such as freedom, which are _____, multifaceted concepts that cannot be tied to specific _____. Further, _____ reasoning (defined as the process of drawing a conclusion from a set of premises), would be very difficult without the ability to verbalise the premises involved in this _____ process.
abstract, objects, deductive, reasoning
Elements of language
What is the smallest units of sound that constitute speech?
Phonemes
- th, s, a
Elements of language
What is the smallest units of meaning?
Morphemes
- anti, house , the -ing
Elements of language
Groups of words that act as a unit and convey meaning?
Phrases
- in the den, the rain in Spain, ate the lolly
Elements of language
Organised sequences of words that express a rethought or intention are:
sentences
- this house is old. Did you get milk?
_____ is organised _____, starting with _____ units of sound that are combined to form words and then sentences that convey complex meaning.
Language, hierarchically, small.
Elements of language
_____ are vowels and consonants that in the English language can be further pronounced in different ways to shape meaning
Phonemes
Elements of language
Phonemes combine to form _____ (the smallest units of meaning).
Morphemes
Elements of language
_____ include stand alone words such as ‘house’ as well as prefixes such as ‘anti’. Morphemes combine to form _____, and phrases are combined to form _____. These elements can be thought of as the building blocks of language.
Morphemes, phrases, sentences
Syntax is defined as the
“rules that govern the placement of words and phrases in a sentence”
Syntax is important in providing language _____
clarity
A key pioneer in linguistics is _____ ____.
Noam Chomsky
Chomsky views _____ (which includes _____) as a system for creating acceptable and unacceptable _____ utterances. Grammar is _____, once we know the rules of a language you can create an infinite number of sentences.
grammar, syntax, language, generative
The rules that govern meaning of morphemes, phrases and sentences
semantics
Syntax is defined as the “rules that govern the _____ of words and phrases in a sentence” Syntax differs from ____ in that semantics are the rules that govern _____ of morphemes, phrases and sentences.
placement, semantics, meaning
Syntax and semantics can be mapped to _____ _____ in the following areas respectively, Broca’s area in the left __-_____ cortex and Wernicke’s area in the left ____ lobe.
brain activation, pre-frontal, temporal
The interaction between syntax and semantics is especially important in clarifying _____ meaning in sentences
ambiguous
Syntax and semantics are not processed in a _____ order but rather simultaneously in ____, each impacting on the other to help an individual identify the intended meaning of a sentence
linear, parallel
We usually only become ______ ____ of the mechanics of this process when one or more elements _____ _____ fit or is so unclear we cannot interpret it. Even in this instance we are motivated to interpret around the syntactical and/or semantic errors in order to come to some meaningful interpretation
consciously aware, does not
The way people ordinarily speak, hear, read and write in interconnected sentences is called:
Discourse
Discourse on multiple levels
People represent discourse at multiple levels:
Exact wording
Gist or general meaning
Suspended reality (different time or place)
Communication (story telling, idea sharing)
Conversation
Discourse on multiple levels
______ of language is the way language is used and understood in everyday life.
Pragmatics
Discourse on multiple levels
Researchers in discourse point out that all language occurs within a larger _____ or _____ that influences meaning.
discourse or context
Discourse on multiple levels
In addition to syntax and semantics are ____.
pragmatics
Discourse on multiple levels
Exact wording is the ____ level, where the exact word(s) are held in _____ briefly to enable interpretation.
lowest, memory
Discourse on multiple levels
_____ - is the _____ meaning of a phrase or sentence and is usually retained while the exact words will be _____. Gists can also involve inferences which can fill in any gaps that may exist in a sentence.
Gist, general, forgotten
Discourse on multiple levels
______ _____ is discourse that transports us to a different time and place.
Suspended reality
Discourse on multiple levels
Human discourse is _____ in that it transcends the current _____ and enables us to think of other places we have been or even have not encountered before.
flexible, context
Discourse on multiple levels
_______ is essentially the sharing or ideas and experiences. Communication reflects what the communicator is trying to do.
Communication
Discourse on multiple levels
Conversation is the ____ level of discourse, which can include story telling, a question, a phrase the imbeds a gist etc.
, broadest,
Nonverbal communication includes:
Vocal intonation Body language (crossed arms) Gestures (often involving the hands) Physical distance Facial expressions Touch Nonverbal vocalisations (throat clearing)
Language development - The case for nurture:
- Skinner (a behaviourist) argued that children imitate the utterances of their parents
Language development - The case for nurture
Skinner suggests that children receive differential _____ for speech sounds
reinforcement
Language development - The case for nurture
Parents use ____ reinforcement and _____ to teach ____
positive, shaping, language
Language development - The case for nature:
Chomksy argued that language acquisition appears to be universal across _____ (could not be accounted for by learning)
culture
Language development
Children can use complex ____ rules long before they develop other ____ processes (mathematics)
grammatical, mental
Language development
_____ _____ _____ (LAD): an innate set of neural structures for acquiring language
Language Acquisition Device
_____ periods assume that an organism must _____ a function within a _____ time frame or it will not develop at all.
Critical, develop, limited
Critical period examples
Children easily learn second languages, adults have great difficulty.
Isolated children have language impairments (e.g., Genie).
After age 12, near native fluency is difficult to achieve.
A defining feature of language is:
the fact that language symbols are arbitrary
According to research, children exposed to language without proper grammar will:
infuse their language with grammatical skills that they have not been taught
The reason that languages other than our native language are difficult to learn in life seems to be:
the result of a failure to get early exposure to the sounds in the new language
Some researchers are now studying the way people ordinarily speak, hear, read and write in interconnected sentences. This form of research is called __________.
analysis of discourse
