Language Differentiation (Mutual Exclusivity)

Question 1

Markman & Wachsel 1988

Answer 1

Describe how monolingual children are guided by the principle of ME, which states that each object can have only one label. Most prominent in basic level categories, which makes learning the labels CAT/ANIMAL particularly difficult.

Question 2

Halberda 2006

Answer 2

Presents the idea of DISJUNCTIVE SYLLOGISM where ME is shown to have a computational structure where an object is either A or B, so if it is not A it must be B.

Question 3

Nicoladis 1998

Answer 3

Found in a study that a bilingual Portuguese/English child showed pragmatic differentiation 3 weeks before producing a dramatic increase in translations.

Question 4

Davidson & Tell 2005

Answer 4

Comment on how bilingual children use within-language ME less than monolingual children. From this we could argue that bilingual children rely on different word learning mechanisms that can accommodate multiple lexical items for the same referent

Question 5

Byers-Heinlein & Werker 2009

Answer 5

Compare mono/bi/trilinguals around 18 months old. Monolinguals showed ME effects, bilinguals weaker and trilinguals none. Conclude that use of ME is a function of the number of languages learnt- the more experience of translation equivalents, the less reliance on ME.

Question 6

Au & Glusman 1990

Answer 6

Found more children can suspend ME when when it’s clear the labels come from different languages. So metalinguistic knowledge, not bilingualism?