Language and Reasoning Slides Flashcards
Communication
Most animals are capable of communication, and even across species. But their communication is not considered to be a language
What is required for it to be a “Language”
- GENERAL PURPOSE
A communication system is considered General Purpose when the language can be used to talk about any arbitrary (random) topic.
Ex. Bees have a very detailed communication system, but its only use is for the direction and distance of flowers. Not General Purpose
- SYMBOLICALLY ARBITRARY
In language, any word can be used for a specific meaning and you will still understand the point that is being made. But other languages have a strict correlation between actions, and meaning for communication.
Animal comm is not symbolically arbitrary because meaning of the message is tied to how the message is conveyed.
Ex. Praire dogs have the same yelp when they see a new predator
Symbol Grounding: However, there may be evidence suggestion that human language isn’t symbolically arbitrary. Because we prefer to use smooth words for round shapes, and edgy words for triangles and squares.
Phenomenon: Sometimes the sound or spelling of a words is symbolic of its meaning.
ex. Slush, flash, fire, slide.
Etymology: The study of the history of words, and their origins.
Ex. Internet slang
Baby Speak:
- “Mama” (Milk, mother)
- “Dada” (Dad, dog, diaper, pacifier)
- “Baba” (father, grandmother, brother, blanket
- “Susu” (Milk, breast, pee)
- GENERATIVE
Most animal communication is not capable of conveying infinite number of meanings. Therefore its not generative.
A system is generative when a FINITE number of elements can create an INFINITE number of possible outcomes.
Phenomenon
Sometimes the sound or spelling of a words is symbolic of its meaning.
ex. Slush, flash, fire, slide.
Etymology
The study of the history of words, and their origins. Provides insight as to whether or not language is arbitrary or not
Ex. Internet slang
Symbol Grounding
However, there may be evidence suggestion that human language isn’t symbolically arbitrary. Because we prefer to use smooth words for round shapes, and edgy words for triangles and squares.
Elaborate on Generatively
Finite elements of language
PHONEMES
In english, 40-50 phonemes are utilized during speech.
Not all languages have the same phonemes, Japanese do not use “L”.
Every language uses a FINITE (Limited) number of phonemes.
Phoneme Acquisition: As we grow up, we are capable of learning and hearing all of the phonemes. But as we get older, we tune them out if our language doesn’t require them.
MORPHEMES
Elements of language that convey basic units of meaning to listeners
Affixes are also morphemes (-ish, -ing, –s, re-, -de, -ive)
Languages have a LIMITED/FINITE number of morphemes, but put them together and you have an INFINITE number of meanings. This is called GENERATIVITY
The outcomes products of language are MEANING
Syntax
We seem to combine phonemes and morphemes according to a set of rules called SYNTAX, or GRAMMAR
Suffix/Affix rules:
drink + -ing = Drinking
Phrase Rules:
(Noun) (Verb) (Adjective)
Bob Ran Fast
Syntax allows us to perform generativity. (Finite # of morphemes, unlimited meanings)
Languages have obvious patterns in word usage, and it suggest that we unconsciously follow syntactic rules while producing and comprehending speech
We then assert that if a sentence has syntax, then we understand it. And if not, then we don’t understand.
Not all SYNOPTICALLY VALID STATEMENTS are practically correct (Buffalo example)
Syntactically Malformed Statements: You’ve done well VS You’ve done good
(Same meaning, but the second is irritating)
Age differences in Language Acquisition
The younger we are, the easier we pick up new languages. And harder as we get older.
Pidgin Languages
People with different linguistic backgrounds are forced to interact, and this results with the development of pidgin languages.
They are not true languages because they are not GENERAL PURPOSE
ex. Common within ethically diverse workgroups, slave communities.
This later developed into a Creole language
Creole Languages
Children who are raised in communities using Pidgin languages, develop the language into a more robust communication system.
This turns it into a true language, unlike pidgins.
Nicaraguan Sign Language
NSL started in 1977 when children attending the centre for special education. Started off as a pidgin language, but then developed into Creole in multiple years.
Infant Language Developmental Stages (Language Acquisition)
- COOING and BABBLING
Cooing (2 Mo) Vowel sounds only, the simples sounds. “ahhh, ohhhh”
Syllables (3-5 Mo) Coordination of constant and vowel sounds - requires moving the vocal tract during speech “Ga, Doh”
Reduplicative (Repetitive) Babbling (6 Mo) Long strings of repeated syllables, motor coordination. “Badadabab, momomo”
Conversational Babbling (10 Mo) Mixing syllables in unpredictable order in conversational tone, turn taking w caretakers. “Bag ado coodita”
- WORD PRODUCTION
Infant display word comprehension around 9 months
Speaking around 1 year of age, their language is simplified and error-prone (ba-ba, da-da)
Placeholders and Errors: Over-generalizations are also common in early speech
ex. Using mom to refer to all common females
3. USE OF SYNTAX
Children display the ability to understand syntax at 1.5 yrs
They are able to understand it before they can perform syntactic sentences.
Why this delay? Difficulty in articulating mouths … children need to develop muscle in their mouth area to produce such syntactic utterances
Reading
As we get older, reading becomes more automatic.
The Stroop Test: Proficient readers have a hard time naming the colour of font of the names of colours. As opposed to poor readers and young children, because they are not as automatic.
Reading involves two main processes
- Whole Word Recognition
- Instead of sounding out each word, our minds match a string of letters to our best guess for a word. - Phonetic Decomposition
Dual Route Model:
-We can process language 2
different ways
- The phonological route (sounding out words)
- Or the Direct Route (taking individuals words in as a whole unit)
- We are only capable of using the direct route for words we are very familiar with.
Theories of Language
Where does language come from?
THE BEHAVIOURIST ACCOUNT
Theory: Children acquire it by imitation and operant conditioning
Evidence against:
- parents tend to reinforce semantics, not syntax.
- Cannot account for articulation of novel utterances
THE NATIVIST ACCOUNT
Theory: We are born with innate propensities for language and grammar
Evidence against:
- Language acquisition is gradual
- Children who do not hear language before the age of 7 do not develop language
The Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis
The belief that language shapes the way we think about the world
Language is the framework to be able to think and reason
People tend to verbalize thought in their head, instead of images when they’re thinking.
EXPERIMENT
Method: participants were asked to summarize important events in their lives in Russian or English
Manipulation: participants were asked to list off events while they’re in Russia, and events while they’re in USA. Participants were asked to write down their events in Russian or English
Results: measuring detail of responses by how much words they use. When participants are recalling events in Russia in Russian, they write it in more description. Similarly,
participants use more detail for events that happened in USA when written in English.
Memories are encoded by the language of the environment at the time they were encoded. Language provides basis for thought
