LECTURE 7 language development Flashcards
How do the people of Mali view language acquisition?
A baby is considered a “thing” (Kuntu) until they begin to speak, becoming a “person” (Muntu).
Why is language considered important according to Noam Chomsky?
It is part of the “human essence,” unique to humans and critical to thought and communication.
How do the Kaluli people of Papua New Guinea view language?
Infants belong to the world of animals and spirits until they utter their first word.
What are human activities that rely heavily on language?
Planning trips, teaching, explaining, and socializing.
What functions are shared between human and animal communication systems?
Attracting mates, threatening competitors, and warning close kin.
How do crickets use communication?
Male crickets emit species-specific mating songs to attract females.
How do red deer use communication?
They roar to resolve conflicts, with the deepest roar indicating strength.
What is the design feature “tradition” in human language?
Human languages are learned and transmitted across generations, unlike wired-in animal communication systems
What is displacement in human language?
The ability to talk about objects and events removed in time and space.
What is duality of patterning in human language?
Meaningless sounds can be combined to express infinite meanings.
What is openness in human language?
The ability to invent new words and messages.
How do symbolic systems differ in humans and animals?
Humans use language to share ideas, while animals use signals to manipulate behavior.
What does “combinatorial systems” mean in language?
Words and structures are combined to create meaning, e.g., “Dog bites man” vs. “Man bites dog.”
What is compositionality in language?
The meaning of a sentence is determined by the meanings of its parts and their arrangement.
What did de Saussure (1916) state about word meanings?
The relation between words and meanings is arbitrary and conventional.
How does morphology contribute to language?
Morphology refers to meaningful forms (morphemes) like “dog” (noun) and “-s” (plural).
What is inflectional morphology?
It modifies a word’s tense or plurality without changing its meaning or syntactic category.
What is derivational morphology?
It changes the meaning or syntactic category of a word, e.g., “uncover” (reverse + cover).
What is syntax?
Rules governing word order and structure in sentences.
What is recursion in syntax?
Rules that allow embedding sentences within other sentences, enabling infinite combinations.
What is semantics in language?
The study of meaning, including word concepts and sentence interpretations.
What is pragmatics?
The study of language use in context, including implied meaning and conversational rules.
What are Gricean Maxims?
Rules for effective communication: Quantity, Quality, Relation, and Manner.
What is the difference between literal and implied meaning in pragmatics?
Literal meaning is derived from words, while implied meaning depends on context.
How do phonemes function in language?
Phonemes are sounds that signal differences in meaning, like /b/ and /p/ in “bat” and “pat.”
What is free variation in phonology?
Variations in sound that do not affect meaning, e.g., aspirated and non-aspirated /t/ in “hot.”
What is fast mapping in language learning?
Quickly associating new words with meanings after minimal exposure.
What is pidgin language?
A simplified communication system used between groups without a common language.
What is creole language?
A pidgin language that evolves into a native language with more complexity.
What did Nicaraguan Sign Language studies show?
Deaf children can invent complex sign languages with grammar and syntax.
What did Pepperberg (1998) demonstrate with Alex the parrot?
Alex could name objects, properties, and answer questions, showing symbolic language use.
How did Rico the Border Collie demonstrate language skills?
Rico learned 200+ words and could infer the meaning of new ones via fast mapping.
What did Savage-Rumbaugh et al. (2001) find about Kanzi the bonobo?
Kanzi learned a lexigram language and understood spoken English without formal training.
What is the role of phonology in language?
Phonology studies speech sounds and their patterns, e.g., minimal pairs like “bat” vs. “pat.”
How do phonemes differ across languages?
Some phonemes exist in one language but not in another, e.g., /th/ in English but not in French.
What are examples of inflectional morphemes?
“-s” for plural (dogs) and “-ed” for past tense (walked).
What are examples of derivational morphemes?
“Un-“ (reverse, uncover) and “-ness” (state, sadness).
What is infinite generativity in language?
The ability to produce an infinite number of sentences using finite words and rules.
