language

Question 1

4 aspects of language

Answer 1

phonology, syntax, semantics, pragmantics

Question 2

phonology

Answer 2

basic perceptual units of speech
Building blocks
Smallest unit of sound that contributes to meaning

Question 3

how many phonemes in English?

Answer 3

45

Question 4

syntax

Answer 4

Language follows rules – a descriptive grammar (syntax)

Question 5

descriptive grammar

Answer 5

set of rules about language based on how it is actually used –> no right/wrong language

Question 6

prescriptive grammar

Answer 6

which is a set of rules based on how people think language should be used

Question 7

Chomsky on language

Answer 7

Creativity & uniqueness, but governed by the rules
Innate mechanism containing all the grammatical rules common to all languages –> emerged suddenly in evolution
Makes use of specialised brain systems
similar to Descartes
Thoughts and language are intertwined/connected

Question 8

semantics

Answer 8

Basic building blocks

Question 9

Morphemes (type of semantic)

Answer 9

the smallest units of language that carry meaning

Question 10

content morphemes

Answer 10

A word that has meaning just on its own (verb, adjective, or noun)
ex: bull, picnic, quiet

Question 11

Function morphemes

Answer 11

The, and, that, he, a, (s), (ed) (ing)
Suffixes + prefixes
Grammatical functions

Question 12

assignment of meaning is…

Answer 12

arbitrary

- No direct resemblance between symbols and objects they refer to

Question 13

What is the difference between syntax & semantics?

Answer 13

syntax: grammar
semantics: meaning
ex: ‘Colourless green ideas sleep furiously’
^ correct syntax, but semantically empty

Question 14

Pragmatics

Answer 14

Influence of context and world knowledge on language use

Need to use more than the literal meaning of words to work out the true meaning

Question 15

which side of the brain is responsible for verbal humour and to understand cartoons

Answer 15

right hemisphere

Question 16

broca’s area

Answer 16

Seems to be especially important for language production + syntax

Question 17

damage to broca’s area (broca’s aphasia)

Answer 17

Speech is slow, laboured & ungrammatical
Many content words, few function words

Comprehension is relatively spared → very frustrating, can understand what people are saying, but can’t get your own words/meaning out

Comprehension problems if speech is syntactically complex

Question 18

wernicke’s aphasia

Answer 18

Comprehension problems

Speech is fluent, but semantically empty

neologisms (Words that appear to be made up on the spot)

Question 19

language is…

Answer 19

generativ (a discrete combinatorial system)

Question 20

left hemisphere in infants regarding language

Answer 20

• Increased blood flow to left hemisphere of brain for normal speech
• LEFT HEMISPHERE: Already ready to receive language

Question 21

motherese

Answer 21

child-directed speech
High pitched tone of voice
Slow speech
Exaggerated intonation
May help infants to parse the speech signal?
Helps them work out where the phonemes are and where the distinction between words are

Question 22

one word stage in infants

Answer 22

• content words
• overextension errors (‘Dada’ – to mean any man)
• underextension errors (Car means the family car, but not other cars)

Question 23

two word stage (telegraphic speech)

Answer 23

String words together
Content words
function words still absent
- beginning of syntax (order of words are important –> mummy throw)

Question 24

stage after the two-word stage

Answer 24

• “all hell breaks loose” Pinker
• Not only learning new vocabulary, but also learning the structure of sentences → different ways of putting the vocab they’ve learned together
• explosion of vocab

Question 25

case of Genie

Answer 25

found at age 14
Failure of normal language development
- hard to understand GRAMMAR

Question 26

case of Isabelle

Answer 26

found at age 6
OG: no language
by age 7: joined 2nd grade –> normal IQ

Question 27

Gradualist view of language

Answer 27

Emphasises mental continuity between humans & animals

We have a lot more in common with animals, in terms of our thought process

Language is just another layer on top of the thinking processes that we share with other animals

Language = enabling us to COMMUNICATE our thoughts more reflectively to others

Question 28

The gestural theory of language evolution (2 stages)

Answer 28

1st stage: Language was primarily used as hand gestures and body movements (not much evidence, more inferential)
2nd stage: speech