Lecture 1 & 2 Flashcards
How many languages are there?
around 7000
The scientific study of language
Linguistics
Being a speaker of a natural language involves an extensive amount of ___________________.
specialized knowledge
What do linguistics try to do?
understand what this knowledge consists of, and to characterize it precisely
TRUE OR FALSE? Natural language has hidden structure.
TRUE
What is the hidden structure of language called?
grammar
Typically children seem to learn languages
____________.
effortlessly
How many words do young children learn a day?
10-20 words per day
What is the conclusion we made based on the observation: Children fast become competent speakers of their
native languages based on little evidence
Languages (and the process of acquiring them) are significantly constrained by the nature of the human brain
What is the bolder hypothesis (controversial) about children learning languages quickly/without being taught?
Children are born with a substantial amount of
intricate knowledge about language
Set of innate constraints, shared by all humans, acting on language
Universal grammar
Instinctual ≈
biologically determined
What are some examples of biologically determined behaviors?
- Honeybee communication
- suckling, chewing, swallowing
- walking
What are some examples of Learned, cultural behaviors?
- reading and writing
- cooking
- The way chimps catch termites and ants
What does pretty much any complex behavior involve?
a combination of genetic predisposition and
environmental input
Is hunting and chasing an instinct or learned?
an instinct
Is killing and eating prey an instinct or learned?
Learned
Is reading an instinct or learned?
Learned
What does the ability to read rely on?
it relies on a number of
innate skills and is
constrained by human brains
Can other animals read?
NO!
What are observations for universal grammar?
- Children fast become competent speakers of the languages
around them, going beyond the limited data - Other animals can’t master human languages
What are some necessary conclusions for universal grammar?
- Human brains are different from other animal brains
- Human brains constrain the process of language acquisition
- The set of constraints is often referred to as Universal Grammar
What is FLB and FLN?
FLB = faculty of language in the broad sense
FLN = faculty of language in the narrow sense
Faculty of language in the narrow sense
The computational system of language, which is used for language production and comprehension. It’s not used for other cognitive or perceptual tasks, and it’s not shared with non-human animals.
Faculty of language in the broad sense
Includes the perceptual-articulatory systems for sound and sign, and the conceptual-intentional systems for meaning.
- Children exposed to language can’t seem to help
acquiring it
-Acquiring language seems somewhat “automatic”
Automaticity
Who proposed a set of criteria for biologically determined behavior?
Neurologist Eric Lenneberg
What is the set of criteria for biologically determined behavior?
- Follows its own schedule
- Happens to everybody
- No prodding needed
What is the schedule of a biologically determined behavior?
- May emerge before needed
- Develops in steps or milestones
- Must develop during critical period or it won’t
develop at all
When do you finish learning your native language?
In a sense never
* But 5-year olds have surprisingly developed language (main exception: vocabulary size
Language develops in _________
steps / milestones
____________________ emerges during
specific developmental time window
instinctive behavior
What happens to critical periods if environmental input is needed?
It has to occur then
True or False: Unrelated children raised together treat each other as siblings.
TRUE
What is the critical period hypothesis?
Native language has to be acquired before puberty
What is evidence for the critical period for language?
- Acquisition complete before puberty
(apart from vocabulary) - Brain damage effects vary greatly based on timing
- “Feral” children that grow up without linguistic input
What may there be multiple critical periods?
- Vocabulary acquisition slows down, but continues
throughout life - The period for acquiring a native-sounding accent
seems to end particularly early for most people
Why do people prefer calling it a “sensitive period” to a “critical period” ?
- There may be multiple critical periods.
- Hard to determine precise ages for the end of critical periods
- Some people acquire a second language to native-
like levels in adulthood
Rare Procedure to deal with seizure disorders localized to one half of brain.
Hemispherectomy
crucial language-related brain areas in the _______ hemisphere
left
What is the typical background of “feral” children?
- Raised by wild animals or psychotic parents.
- No exposure to language during critical period.
- Little or no language when discovered.
What is Genie’s story?
- Discovered in LA in 1970 at 13.5 years old
- Confined in closet since infancy
- Punished for making sounds
- Received little linguistic stimulation.
- Had strong vocabulary development/ communicative
- Able to recount past events
- BUT NEVER ACQUIRED ANY REAL SYNTAX
