Language Acquisition

Question 1

phonology

Answer 1

sound patterns of a language

Question 2

morphology

Answer 2

rules of word-formation

Question 3

Innateness Hypothesis

Answer 3

argues that our ability to acquire language is innate. not simply derived from other human cognitive abilities.

Question 4

Universal Grammar

Answer 4

refers to the set of structural characteristics shared by all languages.

Question 5

Imitation

Answer 5

theories of acquisition, describes that children imitate what they hear

Question 6

reinforcement

Answer 6

theories of acquisition, describes that children learn through positive and negative reinforcement.

Question 7

active construction of a grammar

Answer 7

Children invent grammar rules themselves. ability to develop rules innate.

Question 8

Connectionist Theories

Answer 8

claims that exposure to language develops and strengthens neural connections.

Question 9

Prelinguistics

Answer 9

Stage of language development, babies make noises but not yet babbling. Sensitive to native and non-native sounds distinctions.

Question 10

Babbling

Answer 10

starts about 6 months of age, pitch and intonation resemble language spoken around them.

Question 11

One-word

Answer 11

Part of language development, begins at around age of 1. Usually one syllable words.

Question 12

holophrastic

Answer 12

speak one-word sentences.

Question 13

Two-word stage

Answer 13

starts around 1.5-2 years old. vocabulary is +/- 50 words.

Question 14

telegraphic

Answer 14

sentences consist of two words. e.g. allgone sock, sit chair.

Question 15

beyond two-word stage

Answer 15

sentences with more than 3 words.

Question 16

Sign Language support for Innateness theory

Answer 16

acquired without explicit instruction, acquired in similar stages as spoken language.

Question 17

Problem of Imitation theory of acquistion

Answer 17

children produce things not said by adults. children may invent a new language. they often fail to accurately mimic adult utterances.

Question 18

Problem of Reinforcement theory of aquisition

Answer 18

fails to explain: children’s own grammar rules, why children seem impervious to correction. Role of reinforcement limited to ability to be understood or not.

Question 19

Problems of Connectionist Theories

Answer 19

Predicts that any pattern is learnable by humans, but this is demonstrably false.

Question 20

Critical Period Hypothesis

Answer 20

there is a critical period development during which language can be acquired like a native speaker.

Question 21

nasals>glides>stops>liquid>fricatives>affricatives

Answer 21

sounds that are produced in one-word manner of articulation

Question 22

Examples of one-word utterances

Answer 22

don’t=dot, light=wait, bath=bat, chop=top

Question 23

gesture system

Answer 23

sign language way of communication.

Question 24

Nicaraguan sign language Facts

Answer 24

Didn’t exist before 1980. Teachers used only limited signs for the alphabet. Deaf children naturally and quickly created their own sign language.

Question 25

Evidence of Imitation language acquisition.

Answer 25

specific languages are not transferred genetically. words are arbitrary, thus children must hear words to imitate them.

Question 26

Active construction of a grammar acquisition process

Answer 26

Listen, try to find patterns, hypothesize pattern, test hypothesis, modify rule as necessary.

Question 27

Problem of active construction of grammar

Answer 27

says nothing about what patterns are learnable

Question 28

Evidence of connectionist theories

Answer 28

there are clear frequency effects in some aspect of language. there are clearly neural connections. predicts ‘errors’ based on frequency effects.

Question 29

Higher frequency of Connectionist theories

Answer 29

stronger connections-allows for exploitation of statistical information, ‘rules’ derived from strength of connections.

Question 30

Attempts to explain of Innateness Hypothesis.

Answer 30

speed of acquisition, ease of acquisition, uniformity of acquisition process, uniformity in adult language, universalities across languages.

Question 31

language acquisition

Answer 31

all normal human children can learn a language, can learn any language they are exposed to. learn all languages at basically the same rate. follow the same stages of languages acquisition.

Question 32

5-6 years old

Answer 32

age of children when they have adult-like grammar occurrence.

Question 33

phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and lexical items.

Answer 33

Children must learn these items for language acquisition.

Question 34

Arrive before 6> generally pass as native speakers. arrive after puberty> generally do not pass as native speakers

Answer 34

Age of immigration and language ability.

Question 35

Evidence of critical period hypothesis

Answer 35

‘feral children’ (children isolated from human contact)

Question 36

‘Genie”

Answer 36

pseudonym for American feral child. Isolated for 13 years. They learn many words rather quickly. Never fully developed syntax or morphology.

Question 37

Honey bees dance as form of communication. Newly hatched turtles move toward ocean.

Answer 37

Example of innateness hypothesis for animals.

Question 38

Acquisition process

Answer 38

listen, try to find patterns, hypothesize rule for the pattern, test hypothesis, modify rule as necessary.

Question 39

Children have a ‘working grammar’

Answer 39

example of acquisition process.

Question 40

Problem of active construction grammar.

Answer 40

Says nothing about what patterns are learnable.