Language

Question 1

How has language evolved?

Answer 1

. involves processing at levels of: phonology, lexicon, grammar, concepts

. evolved from visual auditory system

. All cultures have spoken language but NOT all have written language

Question 2

What are phonemes?

Answer 2

. smallest but meaningful units of language that attaches to words

. most basic units of sound

. can have different spectral properties depending on the context

Question 3

When and how are phonemes formed?

Answer 3

When: formed during infancy

How: shaped by linguistic environment

Question 4

Why is it that when a child is more than 4 months of age, they are unable to distinguish minute differences of phonemes?

Answer 4

. auditory system is tuned to phonemes

Question 5

Why is it easy to learn language at an early age?

Answer 5

. children are exposed to multiple representations of phonemes

Question 6

What is a lexicon?

What is the significance of a lexical boundary?

Answer 6

. lexicon = mental dictionary of stored knowledge about words & their meanings

. lexical boundary = determine presence of words

Question 7

True or false. Some languages have grammar.

Answer 7

False. All languages have grammar

Question 8

What is the significance of language & speech evolution?

Answer 8

. for effective communication & transmission of information between species

Question 9

What affects speech perception?

Answer 9

. auditory & visual information (recall the McGurk effect)

Question 10

What is prosody and what is its significance?

Answer 10

. tells us that speech can convey emotion

. emotional content & intonation = important form meaning

. dependent on right hemisphere (decoding & production)

. lesion of right hemisphere = poor at forming correct intonation

. EX: sarcasm

Question 11

What are the differences between syntax & semantics?

Answer 11

. syntax = grammar = arrangement of words & phrases to create sentences in a language

. semantics = meaning

Question 12

What are the differences between content words & function words

Answer 12

. content words = new words that can be added to the language dictionary (EX: nouns, verbs, adjectives)
. words that help us to form a picture in our head

. function words = words that are difficult to add to the language dictionary (EX: articles, conjunctions, prepositions)
. convey grammatical relationships between words in sentences
. have little lexical meaning or ambiguous meaning

Question 13

True or false. Sentences can be semantically incorrect but grammatically correct.

Answer 13

True.

Question 14

What is recursion?

Answer 14

. repeatedly embedded sentence structure within a sentence structure (EX: re-reread)

. can be grammatically correct as grammar allows for recursion

Question 15

Do babies require explicit instruction to learn language?

Answer 15

. NO. Babies learn language through environmental exposure of language

. will learn to pick up native-language but over-regularize the words (EX: mouses, goed)

Question 16

Will one still be able to learn language and become fluent after childhood?

Answer 16

. Yes. However, there will be difficulty as one will have an accent to a language

Question 17

What happens to the development of language if child is raised in extreme deprivation?

Answer 17

. will be unable to acquire normal language

Question 18

Are non human primates able to create language?

Answer 18

. No. they form associations of words with symbols between elements in environment & hand movements

. are unable to make new syntax (grammar) = unable to express emotions & thoughts & produce new words

Question 19

How do trainers attempt to teach non human primates language?

Answer 19

. non human primates are taught language through sign language due to lack of vocal tract complexity

. training involves giving rewards in order to produce a language

. non human primates will use language only to respond to the trainers

Question 20

Who is the patient Leborgne & what is its significance?

Answer 20

. suffered from syphilitic brain degeneration

. showed inability to utter words other than ‘tan’ (demonstrates impairment of language production)

. had severe damage to left frontal lobe in posterior region of inferior frontal gyrus (Broca’s area)

. saw damage to white matter tracts (affected to the cortical & subcortical involvement)

Question 21

Who is the patient Lelong and what is its significance?

Answer 21

. aphasic patient

Question 22

What are the characteristics of Broca’s Aphasia?

Answer 22

. involvement with language production

. syntax (grammar) is impaired but semantics (meaning) is intact

. unable to produce & understand syntax

. see slow halting speech

. able to produce content words but NOT function words

. referred to as non-fluent or production aphasia

. damage of posterior left frontal lobe

Question 23

What is phonemic paraphasia?

Answer 23

. inability to say words correctly

. a type of Broca’s Aphasia

Question 24

What is production aphasia?

Answer 24

. shows trouble with fluency of speech (getting the words out)

Question 25

How do you test a patient with Broca’s Aphasia?

Answer 25

. ask patient to describe what is happening in an image

Question 26

What are the characteristics of Wernicke’s Aphasia?

Answer 26

. shows involvement with the understanding of language

. syntax (grammar) is intact but semantics (meaning) is impaired

. damage in left posterior superior temporal gyrus

. referred to as fluent or receptive aphasia

. difficulty in understanding language

. produces neologisms (pseudowords)

Question 27

What is receptive aphasia?

Answer 27

. patients are able to produce normal sounding language that is grammatical but meaningless

Question 28

Which part of the brain is required to process syntax (grammar)?

Answer 28

. Broca’s area

Question 29

Which part of the brain is activated when creating meaningful grammatically complex sentences?

Answer 29

. posterior superior temporal gyrus

Question 30

Which part of the brain is required to process semantics (meaning)?

Answer 30

. superior & middle temporal gyrus

Question 31

Which part of the brain is required for lexical processing?

Answer 31

. Wernicke’s area

Question 32

Which part of the brain is activated when semantic selection is involved?

Answer 32

. anterior inferior prefrontal areas

Question 33

What is semantic dementia?

Answer 33

. losing knowledge of the world (facts about the world)

Question 34

What areas of the brain are needed to integrate information to form sentences & language?

Answer 34

. Broca’s area & more anterior regions in left inferior frontal gyrus