Language Acquisition

Question 1

cognition theory

Answer 1

based on the cognitive-psychological approach

Question 2

imitation theory

Answer 2

based on an empirical or behavioral approach

Question 3

language

Answer 3

a conditioned behavior and the stimulus-response process

Question 4

language acquisition

Answer 4

a process of experience

Question 5

B. F. Skinner

Answer 5

main figure of imitation theory

Question 6

phonetics

Answer 6

the sounds of a language

Question 7

phonology

Answer 7

sound patterns of a language

Question 8

morphology

Answer 8

rules of word-formation

Question 9

syntax

Answer 9

how words combine into phrases and/or sentences

Question 10

semantics

Answer 10

how to derive meaning from a sentence

Question 11

pragmatics

Answer 11

how to properly use language in context

Question 12

innateness hypothesis

Answer 12

our ability to acquire language is genetically encoded

Question 13

universal grammar

Answer 13

the set of structural characteristics shared by all languages

Question 14

reinforcement theory

Answer 14

children learn through positive and negative reinforcement

Question 15

connectionist theory

Answer 15

exposure to a language develops and strengthens neural connections

Question 16

stages of development: prelinguistic

Answer 16

babies make noises but are not babbling

sensitive to native and non-native sound distinctions

Question 17

stages of development: babbling

Answer 17

starts around 6 months of age

pitch and intonation resemble language spoken around them

Question 18

stages of development: one-word

Answer 18

starts around 12 months of age
one-word utterances
typically one-syllable words
better perception than production

Question 19

stages of development: two-word stage

Answer 19

occur in a fixed order (e.g., action+object, entity+location, demonstrative+entity)

Question 20

stages of development: beyond two-word stage

Answer 20

begins using function words

learning word order and position of determiners