LECTURE 7 language development

Question 1

How do the people of Mali view language acquisition?

Answer 1

A baby is considered a “thing” (Kuntu) until they begin to speak, becoming a “person” (Muntu).

Question 2

Why is language considered important according to Noam Chomsky?

Answer 2

It is part of the “human essence,” unique to humans and critical to thought and communication.

Question 3

How do the Kaluli people of Papua New Guinea view language?

Answer 3

Infants belong to the world of animals and spirits until they utter their first word.

Question 4

What are human activities that rely heavily on language?

Answer 4

Planning trips, teaching, explaining, and socializing.

Question 5

What functions are shared between human and animal communication systems?

Answer 5

Attracting mates, threatening competitors, and warning close kin.

Question 6

How do crickets use communication?

Answer 6

Male crickets emit species-specific mating songs to attract females.

Question 7

How do red deer use communication?

Answer 7

They roar to resolve conflicts, with the deepest roar indicating strength.

Question 8

What is the design feature “tradition” in human language?

Answer 8

Human languages are learned and transmitted across generations, unlike wired-in animal communication systems

Question 9

What is displacement in human language?

Answer 9

The ability to talk about objects and events removed in time and space.

Question 10

What is duality of patterning in human language?

Answer 10

Meaningless sounds can be combined to express infinite meanings.

Question 11

What is openness in human language?

Answer 11

The ability to invent new words and messages.

Question 12

How do symbolic systems differ in humans and animals?

Answer 12

Humans use language to share ideas, while animals use signals to manipulate behavior.

Question 13

What does “combinatorial systems” mean in language?

Answer 13

Words and structures are combined to create meaning, e.g., “Dog bites man” vs. “Man bites dog.”

Question 14

What is compositionality in language?

Answer 14

The meaning of a sentence is determined by the meanings of its parts and their arrangement.

Question 15

What did de Saussure (1916) state about word meanings?

Answer 15

The relation between words and meanings is arbitrary and conventional.

Question 16

How does morphology contribute to language?

Answer 16

Morphology refers to meaningful forms (morphemes) like “dog” (noun) and “-s” (plural).

Question 17

What is inflectional morphology?

Answer 17

It modifies a word’s tense or plurality without changing its meaning or syntactic category.

Question 18

What is derivational morphology?

Answer 18

It changes the meaning or syntactic category of a word, e.g., “uncover” (reverse + cover).

Question 19

What is syntax?

Answer 19

Rules governing word order and structure in sentences.

Question 20

What is recursion in syntax?

Answer 20

Rules that allow embedding sentences within other sentences, enabling infinite combinations.

Question 21

What is semantics in language?

Answer 21

The study of meaning, including word concepts and sentence interpretations.

Question 22

What is pragmatics?

Answer 22

The study of language use in context, including implied meaning and conversational rules.

Question 23

What are Gricean Maxims?

Answer 23

Rules for effective communication: Quantity, Quality, Relation, and Manner.

Question 24

What is the difference between literal and implied meaning in pragmatics?

Answer 24

Literal meaning is derived from words, while implied meaning depends on context.

Question 25

How do phonemes function in language?

Answer 25

Phonemes are sounds that signal differences in meaning, like /b/ and /p/ in “bat” and “pat.”

Question 26

What is free variation in phonology?

Answer 26

Variations in sound that do not affect meaning, e.g., aspirated and non-aspirated /t/ in “hot.”

Question 27

What is fast mapping in language learning?

Answer 27

Quickly associating new words with meanings after minimal exposure.

Question 28

What is pidgin language?

Answer 28

A simplified communication system used between groups without a common language.

Question 29

What is creole language?

Answer 29

A pidgin language that evolves into a native language with more complexity.

Question 30

What did Nicaraguan Sign Language studies show?

Answer 30

Deaf children can invent complex sign languages with grammar and syntax.

Question 31

What did Pepperberg (1998) demonstrate with Alex the parrot?

Answer 31

Alex could name objects, properties, and answer questions, showing symbolic language use.

Question 32

How did Rico the Border Collie demonstrate language skills?

Answer 32

Rico learned 200+ words and could infer the meaning of new ones via fast mapping.

Question 33

What did Savage-Rumbaugh et al. (2001) find about Kanzi the bonobo?

Answer 33

Kanzi learned a lexigram language and understood spoken English without formal training.

Question 34

What is the role of phonology in language?

Answer 34

Phonology studies speech sounds and their patterns, e.g., minimal pairs like “bat” vs. “pat.”

Question 35

How do phonemes differ across languages?

Answer 35

Some phonemes exist in one language but not in another, e.g., /th/ in English but not in French.

Question 36

What are examples of inflectional morphemes?

Answer 36

“-s” for plural (dogs) and “-ed” for past tense (walked).

Question 37

What are examples of derivational morphemes?

Answer 37

“Un-“ (reverse, uncover) and “-ness” (state, sadness).

Question 38

What is infinite generativity in language?

Answer 38

The ability to produce an infinite number of sentences using finite words and rules.