Language Flashcards
Language
A system of human communication that is fundamental to the creation of communities
Phonology
The actual sounds of a language
Phonemes
Speech sound units in a language
Categorical perception
The ability to recognize when a small change in sound alters the meaning of what is being pronounced
Morphology
The structure of the words of the language
Morphemes
Building blocks of words
Semantics
The association of meaning with words
Syntax
The rules of putting words together to form sentences
Pragmatics
The dependence of a language on context and preexisting knowledge
Prosody
The rhythm, cadence, and influence of our voices
The dominant hemisphere for language
The left hemisphere (90% of people)
Broca’s Area
An area of the brain in the frontal lobe that controls the motor function of speech; it is connected to the motor cortex
Wernicke’s Area
An area of the brain in the temporal love that controls the comprehension of language
Arcuate fasciculus
A bundle of axons that connect Broca’s Area and Wernicke’s Area and allow appropriate association between language comprehension and speech production
Aphasia
A disorder in language usage (general)
Broca’s Aphasia
Disorder in speech production and the use of spoken language. Language comprehension is intact. Damage to Broca’s Area. (also known as Expressive Aphasia or Non-Fluent Aphasia)
Wernicke’s Aphasia
Disorder in speech comprehension, but speech production and fluency is maintained. Patients speak nonsensically but believe what they say makes sense. Damage to Wernicke’s Area. (also known as Receptive Aphasia or Fluent Aphasia
Global Aphasia
Both Wernicke’s Area and Broca’s Area are damaged, so all aspects of language are impaired
Conduction Aphasia
Damage to the arcuate fasciculus results in the inability to repeat things being said or respond appropriately in a conversation. (also known as Associative Aphasia)
Agraphia
Inability to write
Anomia
Inability to name things
Theory of Universal influence of language on cognition
The way people think completely influences language
Piaget’s Theory of the influence of language on cognition
Children learn to think a certain way and then develop words to express these thoughts
Vygotsky’s Theory of the influence of language on cognition
Cognition and Language develop independently but converge over time
Theory of Linguistic Relativity
The weaker form of Linguistic Determination; language influences the way we think and the context of everyday encounters
Sapir-Whorfian Hypothesis
The stronger form of Linguistic Determination; language completely determines thought. People understand the world through language, and language shapes how we experience and approach the world around us
Nativist Theory of Language Development
Credited to Noam Chomsky; Humans have a language acquisition device that allows them to learn languages during a critical period. Language is an innate ability
Language Aquisition Device
A theoretical pathway in the brain credited by nativists to help children absorb languages
Transformational grammar
Different ways words and sentences can be transformed to convey the same meaning
Learning Theory of Language Development
Credited to B.F. Skinner; Language is a behavior that is learned through operate conditioning and reinforcement
Social Interactionist Theory of Language Development
Credited to Vygotsky; Biological and social factors need to interact in order for children to learn language; children’s desires to communicate with others motivates them to learn language
Lexicon
A set of vocabulary items in a language
