Language development Flashcards
psycho-linguistics
interrelated study of language and psychology. Concerned with psychological and neurobiological factors facilitating language production and comprehension.
phonology
the basic units of sound (unique to each language), and the rules for combining them. Most basic sound unit is a phoneme.
morphology
How meaningful words are formed from sounds and the rules governing this. In English, this includes eg adding “ed” to form past tenses, “S” for plurals etc.
semantics
How meanings are derived from words and sentences.
The smallest unit giving meaning is a morpheme= a single word which gives meaning eg dog. Abound morpheme (eg s) cannot stand alone but alters meaning when added to a morpheme eg dogs.
Syntax
the rules of a language specifying how words must be combined, in order to give meaning.
eg Garfield bit Odie,
Garfield Odie bit,
Odie bit Garfield.
pragmatics
knowledge of how to use language to communicate effectively. Requires sociolinguistic knowledge, knowledge of non-verbal cues, and knowledge of audience.
sociolinguistic knowledge
culturally specific rules of a language specifying how language should be used in a specific social setting.
Empiricist view
Language is learned. ie requires exposure. eg. Japanese children learn Japanese and French, French.
This view held by Learning Theorists and this is part of the “nurture” argument..
Nativist view
Language development is biologically programmed, involving highly specialised linguistic processes which are most efficient during childhood. This is the “nature”argument. Points out that there are linguistic universals (irrespective of which language, children tend to babble, form sentences etc at similar ages).
Interactionist view
The middle ground. Language develops through a complex interplay of biological programming, cognitive development and unique environment.
Language Acquisition Device
Noam Chomsky, Nativist, proposed the LAD as an inborn device of humans which contains universal grammar, activated by verbal input. Argues that without this, language is far to complicated to learn.
Language-Making Capacity
Nativist Dan Slobin proposed that there was not an innate knowlefge of language, but rather an innate set of cognitive and perceptual abilities, highly specialized for language learning.
Aphasia
Loss of one or more language functions due to brain damage.
Broca’s Area
In the lower part of the Left Frontal Lobe (90% of right-handeds and 70% of left-handeds).Damage here results in impaired speech production but not impaired comprehension.
Wernicke’s Area
Located in the Left Temporal Lobe. (95% of right-handeds and 60% of left handeds)Damage hear results in language comprehension problems but speech production is ok.
Sensitive Period Hypothesis of Language Acquisition.
Erik Lenneberg. Complete language acquisition only possible if learnt prior to puberty, Learning second language as adult is much harder. If left brain damaged, right can takeover prior to puberty (adults require far more extensive therapy, with poorer result). Cases where people not exposed to language until after puberty have learnt much semantics yet unable to master syntax.
Creole
A true language, which has evolved from a pidgin (hybrid) language.
Connectionism Theory
Thorndike. Learning is achieved when an individual can form associations between a stimulus and response.
Motherese
Short, simple, high-pitched, repetitive style of speech directed at children. also called Child-Directed-Speech.
Negative evidence expansion
Parental response to incorrect grammar with an extension eg “Doggie go”parent responds “yes the doggie is going away”
Negative evidence recast
parental response to incorrect grammar eg “Doggie eat “and respond with “What is the doggie eating?”or “yes the doggie is hungry”etc.
Pre-linguistic phrase
first 10-13 months.Period before uttering first words. Can discriminate between different intonational patterns and often match vocalise.
cooing
vowel-like noises begin at 2 months, likely heard when baby alert, fed and content.
babbling
by 4-6 months, vowel-consonant repetitions eg dadada but has no meaning. Deaf infants whose parents use sign, will “babble “experimentally with their hands.
