Language Flashcards
outline the behaviourist perspective:
- definition
- limitations
Language learning occurs via operant conditioning
limitations:
- have to make many links between words and things
- others must be present to reward behaviour
- grammar?
imitation and modelling importance in learning a language. limitations?
children learn by copying adults
- doesn’t explain incorrect utterances e.g. “swimmed”
Nativist perspective (LAD)
- Noam Chomsky claims that the rules of grammar is too complex to learn from imitation and that it means humans must have a unique biological.
- LAD could mean that the grammatical and utterance errors make sense
- LAD provides universal grammar that is then shaped into the surrounding type of grammar in the environment.
talk about significance of Nim Chimpsky
- had a vocab of 100 words in sign language
- could not make longer phrases than 2 words (e.g. “Nim Play”)
Limitations of Chomsky’s theory
although there are specialised areas for language (Broca’s, Wernicke’s) there is not a specific place for LAD.
understanding of grammar is not ‘switched on’ once the LAD is exposed to the household/native language
children’s understanding of grammar increases gradually
Interactionist perspective
this emphasises on social context of learning
children learn language via a combination of
- an innate capacity
- a rich linguistic and social environment
- a strong desire to connect with others
- reinforcement of efforts
combination of nature and nurture. Parent’s have a great role.
early communication - what occurs before speech
psychological and interactive preparation for talking begins well before the infant’s first utterance
rules of conversation (e.g. taking turns) are learnt via pre-verbal communication - smiles, gestures
children also learn by association
adults respond in different ways to facial expression, gesture or sounds made by children
how does adult-adult interaction differ to adult-infant?
- proximity and eye contact
- exaggerated facial expressions and gestures
- repetition
development of language stages: newborn 4mo 6mo 7-12mo
newborn: especially responsive to human voices
4 mo: associations between facial movements and sounds
6 mo: babies can recognise words in speech
7-12 mo: learning through changes in intonation and rhythm
- brain imaging research indicates that at this age, babies are already “rehearsing” how to produce the sounds
learning language involves making associations between sounds and things in the world
what is motherese?
relate it to LAD and Chomsky theory
ideologically unsound term for adult-child speech
= simplified version of adult-adult speech
supports interactionist perspective
- language learning = LAD + motherese
Chomsky argued that adult speech is too complicated for children to learn rules of grammar, so invoked LAD
but differences between adult-child speech and adult-adult speech, may help children to develop language
more features of adult-child speech
- more likely to be in present tense
- has more repetition
- exaggerated intonation
- simpler terminology
- new words placed at end of sentences
outline the babbling stage
- sounds derived from nature and surroundings
- home language can be picked up from 10mo’s olds babbling
- adults expression of interest in babbling are important
- babies begin to make links between sounds and things.
outline one-word stage
- start to apply knowledge that sounds convey meaning
- first words are usually one syllable
- meaning is not always clear
- at first words are used generically, then specifically
outline two word stage
- “telegraph speech” contains mainly nouns and verbs
- children can express needw
outline 3-4 years
- rapid progress to full sentences
- intonation rather than gestures
- use of possessive pronouns
negatives
modifiers
temporal elements
