Language development

Question 1

What are Hockett’s design features of language

Answer 1

• Semanticity
• Arbitrariness (no connection between sound used and message being sent)
• Displacement (communicating things which arent currently present)
• Productivity (ability to create new utterances due to previous ones)
• Duality of pattrning (meaningless phonic segments- phonemes- are combined to make meaningful words which are combined to make sentences.
• Discreteness

Question 2

What is language made up of?

Answer 2

Phonology
Syntax/ morphology
semantics
pragmatics

Question 3

What are Phones

Answer 3

The different sounds in language are called phones -

Question 4

what are phonemes

Answer 4

The smallest meaningful unit of sound.

Question 5

how does phonological developement occur over the first year of life

Answer 5

infants are born being able to perceieve all sounds, but they become fine tuned.
Japanese 8 month olds distinguish ra and la whereas 1 year olds dont.

Question 6

Vihman (1996)
Production
From birth?

Answer 6

crying, involuntary sounds

Question 7

Vihman (1996)
Production
2-4 months

Answer 7

cooing, 16 weeks laughter

Question 8

Vihman (1996)
Production
4-7 months

Answer 8

squeals, yells, raspberries, vowels and babbling,

Question 9

Vihman (1996)
Production
7 months

Answer 9

Reduplicted or cannonical babbling

Question 10

Vihman (1996)
Production
10 months

Answer 10

reflect language

Question 11

Vihman (1996)
Production
1 year

Answer 11

variegated babbling - bagoo

Question 12

McGillion et al (2017) suggests that the age at which children produce cannonical babbling predicts

Answer 12

• when they will be able to speak words

- how many words they will produce at 18 months

Question 13

Donnellan et al suggests that a caregivers response to babbling predicts

Answer 13

word learning

Question 14

Vihman (1996) suggests that childrens vocalisations are limited because?

Answer 14

• the size and placement of the tongue

- neuromuscular limits

Question 15

what is gaze following

Answer 15

infants follow peoples line of regard/

Question 16

baldwin (1991) suggest that at 18 months

Answer 16

infants use gaze following to checkk someones line of regard

Question 17

what is joint attention

Answer 17

around 9 months infants begin to engage in joint attention (when two people are mutually aware they are attending to something)

Question 18

carpenter et al (1998) time spent in joint attention predicts

Answer 18

word learning

Question 19

how is pointing linked to language development

Answer 19

between 9 and 14 months infants begin to point imperatvely (to tell someone something) and declaratively (to inform someone of something)

Question 20

Colonnesi et al (2010) suggests that index finger pointing and showing is

Answer 20

a predictor of vocab learning

Question 21

when do most children produce their first words

Answer 21

around a year

Question 22

how many words do children learn before it starts to speed up

Answer 22

50- 100

Question 23

What are spoonerisms and malapropisms and how are they linked to language development

Answer 23

children produce errors when first talking, they can perceie but not produce.

Question 24

What does Wittgenstein (1953) suggest about semantics learning in childhood.

Answer 24

we can assume that word learning is about converging on the adult use of the word

Question 25

what semantics mistakes do children often make when first talking

Answer 25

underextensions and overextensions

Question 26

what is the gavagai problem

Answer 26

word learning must be constrained - so many words with so many possible meanings

Question 27

solutions to the gavagai problem

Smith (2000)

Answer 27

children use associative learning across contexts

Question 28

solutions to the gavagai problem

Tomasello (2003)

Answer 28

Use social cues to convey meaning

Question 29

solutions to the gavagai problem

Fisher (2002)

Answer 29

linguistic cues to meaning

Question 30

what is mutual exclusivity

Answer 30

the constraint that involves the tendency to assign one label/name, and in turn avoid assigning a second label

Question 31

how are individual differences in language measured

Answer 31

parental reports

Question 32

what influence does SES have on word learning

Answer 32

• individual differences in vocab development

- lower SES children start school with weaker language skills and this predicts later school outcome

Question 33

How do adults help children speak

Answer 33

contingent talk

Question 34

what is contingent talk

Answer 34

child directed speech that is contingent on infants focus of attention

• semantically ( what infant is attending to)
• temporally (in response to infant vocalisation)