Lecture 1 Flashcards
System of communication specific to homo sapiens
human language
dynamic, free to change
definition of what? (regarding language)
human language is open
may not have connection to real meaning or idea associated with it
(definition regarding language)
human language is symbolic
What is difference of human language compared to all types of language?
human language allows users to express abstract and distant ideas
- allows for future planning
____ tend to communicate about immediate concerns and emotions
animals
smallest units of sound in language
phonemes
smallest units of meaning in language
morphemes
rules for arranging words and symbols in sentences or parts of sentences
syntax
the rules associated with the use of language in social situations
pragmatics
rudimentary language also known as prelanguage
protolanguage
what/who used protolanguage
early species of homo
who uses grammatical and syntactical language?
homo sapiens
how old is grammatical and syntactical language?
150 000 to 200 000 years old
What area of the brain has to do with speech comprehension?
Wernicke’s are
what area of the brain has to do with speech production?
Broca’s area
when does cooing occur and what is it? what types of sounds do babies make when they coo?
first 6 months of age
vowel sounds
when does babbling occur and what is it?
5-6 months of age
infants experiment with complex range of phonemes
what happens with speech at 12 months of age?
one-word utterances
single syllables
What happens with speech at 18 moths of age?
two-word utterances
stringing together single syllables
what happens at 2.5-3 years of age with language?
sentence phase
What is the period of development where exposure to human language is necessary called?
the sensitivity period
What is the danger with the sensitivity period with neglected children?
if the children are not exposed to human language during the sensitivity period, their language abilities may never develop
In years, when does the sensitivity period occur
1 year- 12 years of age
How does family language influence a child’s language and vocabulary?
yes, the greater the number of words heard in the family, the more diverse the child’s vocabulary
What is child-directed speech?
speech parents or others might use that is different when communicating to childern
what characterises child-directed speech?
higher-pitch
simpler use of sentence
changes in voice volume
ect
What does the sociocultural theory of language entail?
environmental influence
- children imitating parents
- child directed speech
Do children learn to speak faster or slower from different classes of family?
they learn to speak about the same age
What are clusters of neurons that fire when you do a task or you see another person doing that task
mirror neurons
what is the Conditioning and learning theory?
B.F Skinner
Language developed just like any other behavior - it is reinforced and shaped
Progression (cooing, babbling, ect) from shaping, successive approximations, and reinforcement
what is the Nativist Theory of lanugage?
We discover language rather than learn it
Language development is inborn, brain is wired for it
what does Noam Chomsky (prof. At Harvard and MIT)
have to say about human language?
- Argued humans are born with a Language acquisition device (LAD) (neural and behaviour system)
innate , biologically-based capacity to acquire language - Language in general, not a specific form of language
Humans are “built to speak”
Humans learn language comparatively easily, and at about the same age no matter what language is their native language
What was found, using twin studies, about grammer and vocabulary ?
grammer is more innate while vocabulary is more environmentally learned
What is the FOXP2 gene? what does it do?
- Involved with understanding and producing speech
- Gene found in all mammal species however human gene is different than closest relative, chimp
- Recently found in neanderthal DNA → capacity to form language? Maybe
Is chimp learning to speak human language ever possible? why or why not?
Chimps don’t have vocal appartatus which would allow them to speak → incapable of making the range of sounds we do
Explain example of chimp and her son, Washoe, learning language?
Allen and beatrix gardner taught several chimps
Range: 100-400 words
Kanzi learned without formal training (present in, but didn’t participate, in her mother’s unsuccessful learning of language)
Now knows 3000 words
Slower process of learning
However, only achieved rudimentary language, at most, the equivalent of human toddler
Who said “Language creates thought as much thought creates language” ?
Benjamin Whorf and Edward Sapir
What ideas lead to the The Linguistic Determinism Hypothesis?
Benjamin Whorf and Edward Sapir
explain The Linguistic Determinism Hypothesis?
Language determine our way of thinking and perceptions of the word
If there is not a word or name for an object, its impossible to think about those objects or concepts
Piraha (small reclusive tribe) of the amazon
Only have words for numbers up to two, nearly impossible to learn concepts like ten
Can only construct independent clauses “I finish eating. I talk to you.”
Language influence the way we think, doesn’t determining the way we think
Linguistic relativism
