Lecture 9

Question 1

Steven Pinker views on language

Answer 1

1. Language is universal
2. Languages conform to a universal design
3. Children pass through a universal series of stages in acquiring a language
4. If children are put together with no pre-existing language then they develop their own
5. Language and intelligence are doubly dissociable in disorders

Question 2

Chomsky perspective on language

Answer 2

Grammar is universal that is a system of principles and structures that are prerequisite to learning language

Question 3

S structure and D structure (Chomsky)

Answer 3

S structure: the surface structure, the actual spoken sentence

D structure: the deep structure, abstract representation of a sentence

Question 4

Chomsky’s poverty of the stimulus argument

Answer 4

1. Language requires the ability to connect d-structures to s-structures
2. Children only hear s-structure, d-structure must be innate
3. Language input is complex
4. Children receive little feedback about grammar
5. Children acquire language quickly and easily

Question 5

Overregularisation

Answer 5

Example of children using the d-structure everywhere
e.g. I goed to the cinema
I eated popcorn

Question 6

Overgeneralization

Answer 6

Creating a new verb by adding the suffix -ing

It’s weathering for example

Question 7

Evidence for Chomsky’s statement that children receive little feedback about grammar

Answer 7

Parents often repeat ungrammatical sentences

Parents also reinforce ungrammatical sentences

Question 8

Criticism for universal language design

Answer 8

1. Languages are too diverse and do not show universal design
2. Parental role in providing language models
3. Innate knowledge or a predisposition to learn a language

Question 9

Language development needs

Answer 9

1. Universal grammar
2. Experience
3. General learning mechanisms

Question 10

Systems of language

Answer 10

1. Pragmatic system: turn taking
2. Phonological system: speech perception and production
3. Syntactic system: understanding and producing grammar
4. Semantic system: understanding meaning of words

Question 11

Shared intentionality

Answer 11

Ability and motivation to engage with others collaboratively for joint goals

Question 12

Speech production development

Answer 12

1. Reflexive vocalisations (0-2)
2. Cooing and laughing (2-4)
3. Babbling and vocal play (4-6)
4. Canonical babbling (6-10)
5. Modulated babbling

Question 13

Semantic system development factors

Answer 13

1. Existing semantic system
2. Existing knowledge of the world
3. Level of cognitive skills
4. Selective attention

Question 14

Pidgin

Answer 14

Makeshift communicative system with little grammar

Question 15

Language gene

Answer 15

Foxp2

Question 16

Phonemic awareness

Answer 16

This is very difficult for children and requires a lot of instruction. Multiple pronunciations are possible for certain phonemes

Question 17

Overextension

Answer 17

Extending the meaning of a word to other objects

Question 18

Under extension

Answer 18

Using a word too narrowly

Question 19

Whole object constraint

Answer 19

Assuming a word refers to a whole object rather than a part of it

Question 20

Mutual exclusivity constraint

Answer 20

Only a dog they have seen is a dog and nothing else and no other dog can have the word dog

Question 21

Proto-declarative pointing

Answer 21

Wanting an adult to pay attention to the object

Question 22

Proto-imperative pointing

Answer 22

Wanting an adult to give you the object