Lesson 7: First Language Acquisition Flashcards
Who is the teacher in first language acquisition?
no instruction is involved
What is the input data in first language acquisition?
no negative evidence (ungrammatical sentences) are available; only positive evidence
How do children interpret novel data?
finite input, but infinite productivity
What errors do children make?
non-adult-like errors, but limited
Poverty of the Stimulus
input from the child’s linguistic environment doesn’t seem to be enough for first language acquisition
Theory of Imitation
children imitate what adults say
arguments for Theory of Imitation
children sometimes imitate adults’ actions
arguments against Theory of Imitation
children make errors that adults don’t make
We ____ the Theory of Imitation.
reject
Theory of Correction/Reinforcement
language learning is based on the correction and negative reinforcement of ‘bad’ sentences, and positive reinforcement of ‘good’ sentences by adults
arguments for Theory of Correction/Reinforcement
correction/reinforcement works in a behavioral context
arguments against Theory of Correction/Reinforcement
- no systematic positive or negative reinforcement from adults
- certain cultures don’t engage in speech/baby talk with children
We ____ the Theory of Correction/Reinforcement.
reject
Theory of Innateness
our knowledge of language is innately specified and universal among human beings
True or False:
Universal grammar is a blueprint and an innate knowledge of language.
True
innate properties of language
universal properties of all human language
- categories of linguistic expressions
- structured sentences and phrases
learned properties of language
properties specific to the acquired language
- word order
- phonetics/phonology
We ____ the Theory of Innateness.
accept
All children should be able to:
- acquire language of their environment
- acquire language rapidly and spontaneously
- exhibit linguistic creativity
- pass through similar stages of development
critical period
the limited developmental time period during which it’s possible to acquire language to native-like levels
True or False:
Like humans, birds cannot acquire their birdsong after a certain time period without exposure.
True
True or False:
The critical period for language acquisition in humans is around birth - 21 years old.
False
Critical period is from birth - puberty
How does Victor of Aveyron show evidence of the Critical Period Hypothesis?
unable to produce intelligible language and communicated thru grunts and howls
True or False:
By age 17, Genie had the vocabulary of a 5 year-old due to severe child abuse.
True
True or False:
Chelsea was born deaf into an abusive family.
False
She was born into a loving family but did not receive any linguistic input because she was thought to be “mentally retarded.”
True or False:
By age 31, Chelsea was still not able to acquire simple word order and complex syntax.
True
True or False:
ASL learners who learned ASL later on in life can still sign just as well as those who are native signers.
False
Native signers perform better at signing than those who learned later on.
True or False:
In second language learners, age of arrival is a better predictor of accent and comprehension than number of years speaking English.
True
True or False:
In childhood aphasia, recovery is faster than adult aphasia the later the aphasia develops.
False
Recovery is faster the earlier the aphasia develops.
Why is it significant that there are particular kinds of grammatical errors that children do not make?
A. It suggests that language acquisition is guided by an innate mechanism.
B. This provides support for the idea that children acquire the language indirectly from the adults around them, not through explicit instruction.
C. This is evidence that even very young children have grammars, although those grammars may be different than the adult grammar.
D. A and B
E. B and C
F. A and C
F. A and C
What is meant by the “logical problem of language acquisition”?
A. Children are able to acquire language easier than adults.
B. Children are able to acquire signed languages faster than spoken languages.
C. Children do not receive enough linguistic input to explain the complex knowledge of language that speakers have.
D. Children are born ready to acquire any human language. However, they typically only acquire the one(s) in their environment.
E. Despite differences in culture and child-rearing practices, children all over the world still pass through identical stages of language development.
C. Children do not receive enough linguistic input to explain the complex knowledge of language that speakers have.
Why do we think that Universal Grammar plays a central role in first language acquisition?
A. The Poverty of the Stimulus
B. The rapidity of acquisition and the depth of grammatical knowledge attained
C. Similar stages of language acquisition for both spoken and signed languages
D. A and B
E. A and C
F. All of the above
F. All of the above
Does the case of Genie provide evidence for or against the existence of a critical period for language?
A. For. Genie has been unable to acquire English to native-like levels since she began acquiring language at the end of the critical period.
B. Against. Genie has been able to acquire an extensive English vocabulary, despite acquiring English at the end of the critical period.
C. For. Although Genie has learned English syntax and phonetics after puberty, she struggles with morphology.
D. Against. Although Genie has acquired limited English morphology after puberty, her knowledge of the phonetics and syntax is native-like.
E. For. Only after extensive training was Genie able to acquire English to native-like levels. This is unlike what happens to children before the critical period.
F. Against. Once Genie began to receive language input, she was able to attain native levels of English proficiency, even in the absence of explicit training.
A. For. Genie has been unable to acquire English to native-like levels since she began acquiring language at the end of the critical period.
Comparing the cases of Genie and Chelsea, which one is more likely a better candidate to test the Critical Period Hypothesis for Language?
A. Genie is better. The fact that she was raised in an abusive environment provides us a clearer picture of what can be attained linguistically under such extreme circumstances.
B. Chelsea is better because she was given explicit language training, unlike Genie. Therefore we know exactly how much progress she made.
C. Genie is better. She did not receive explicit language training, unlike Chelsea.
D. Chelsea is better because her first linguistic input preceded the onset of puberty. Her level of attainment is a direct test of the Critical Period Hypothesis.
E. Genie is better. Dichotic listening tests show that her language is right-lateralized. The Critical Period Hypothesis predicts this to be the case.
F. Chelsea is better. She was brought up in a non-abusive environment so we know that psychological factors do not play a role.
F. Chelsea is better. She was brought up in a non-abusive environment so we know that psychological factors do not play a role.
Studies of the acquisition of American Sign Language suggest that…
A. both the age of exposure to ASL and the length of exposure determine the eventual level of attainment in ASL, unlike spoken language.
B. the critical period applies to sign languages, just as with spoken languages.
C. it is the mirror image of what is found in spoken language. The earlier the exposure, the lower the levels of eventual proficiency.
D. the length of exposure to ASL is crucial, not the age when a person is exposed to it. The Critical Period Hypothesis is not relevant.
E. the length of exposure to ASL is not crucial and neither is the age of exposure. The amount of explicit instruction in ASL determines the eventual proficiency for native signers.
B. the critical period applies to sign languages, just as with spoken languages.
