Second language Flashcards
The sound patterns of a language
phonology
The sounds of a language
phonetics
Rules of word-formation
morphology
How words combine into phrases/sentences
syntax
How to derive meaning from a sentence
semantics
How to properly use language in context
pragmatics
Lexical items
idioms, words, morphemes,
‘Innateness Hypothesis’
argues that our ability to acquire (human) language is innate (genetically encoded).
LanguageAcquisitionDevice(LAD)
is a theoretical component of the individual’s thought
Universal Grammar (UG)
set of structural characteristics shared by all languages
Economy of derivation
is a principle stating that movements (i.e., transformations) only occur in order to match interpretable features with uninterpretable features. An example of an interpretable feature is the plural inflection on regular English nouns, e.g., dogs.
Economy of representation
is the principle that grammatical structures must exist for a purpose: the structure of a sentence should be no larger or more complex than required to satisfy constraints on grammaticality.
bilingualism
Simultaneous acquisition of two languages from birth. This term is also used casually to refer to any strong proficiency in two languages, regardless of how it is attained.
Grammatical competence
knowledge of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
Acquisition though interaction
The belief that children acquire a language via the interaction with other people.
BABBLING
An early stage of language acquisition that infants go through from about 4 to 6 months of age.
Babbling may involve a wide range of speech sounds, though it typically consists of simple syllables (ex. ba and ma).
CONDITIONED-RESPONSE LEARNING
A theory of learning associated with the psychological theory of behaviorism, which was applied to language acquisition by B.F. Skinner (1957).
According to behaviorism, language develops from adult reinforcement and shaping of the babbling of the infant, and subsequently like other learned behavior.
INNATENESS
The idea that children are biologically predisposed to learn language, that they are born with knowledge of an abstract universal grammar that underlies the grammar of all human languages.
IMITATION
A strategy for language acquisition.
Imitation is a common means by which children (and adults) learn many things, including aspects of language.
Children actively imitate the speech of those in their social environments, sometimes at inappropriate times, to the embarassment of their parents.
ONE-WORD HOLOPHRASTIC STAGE
At around 12 to 18 months, children produce their first recognizable words.
These words occur alone, in single-unit utterances.
A one-word utterance can be given different intonation contours to express different speech acts. For example, falling intonation for a statement, rising for a question of request.
two-word stage
Around 18 months, a child begins to put two words together in order to convey meaning, e.g. ‘mummy sit’.
the main argument against the ‘imitation’ theory
Children do not suddenly produce grammatically complete Standard English sentences, instead, they build up their language gradually, refining their speech as they develop.
What is a critical period?
The age at which a child will be most receptive to learn language (suggested by Lenneburg to be up to the age of 5).
uniformly
uniform stages of acquisition uniform results
Skinner( 1957)
argue that children learn language based on behaviorist reinforcement principles by associating words with meanings.
Chomsky ( 1950)
argue that children will never acquire the tools needed for processing an infinite number of sentences if the language acquisition mechanism was dependent on language input alone.
The learning theory of language acquisition
suggests that children learn a language much like they learn to tie their shoes or how to count; through repetition and reinforcement.
The interactionist approach (sociocultural theory)
combines ideas from sociology and biology to explain how language is developed. According to this theory, children learn language out of a desire to communicate with the world around them.
First 50 words
The first 50 words a child uses, usually nouns and verbs.
Naming words.
Nouns used when beginning to talk, usually around one year.
0-12 months.
Coos
Gurgles.
Uses m, n, t, d, b, p, y in babbling multiple syllables.
1-1 1/2
Uses most vowels and consonants and initial consonants.
deletion.
Accurately imitates some words.
1 1/2 - 2 years
Words increasing in frequency - jargon almost gone by 2 years.
•Asks questions by raising intonation.
•improvement in intelligibility - now approximately 65% intelligible by 2 years
•appearance of words produced with CVC structure.
What are speech sounds?
Combinations of consonants and vowels
What is Language Input?
Linguistic environment of the child
A child is going to mimics the words being used around them
Noam Chomsky
proposed the theory of Universal Grammar:
Morphemes
Morphemes are the smallest grammatical markers, or units, in language that alter words.
SVO
Subject Verb Object structure – “The teacher gave a lecture.”
Noam Chomsky
believe that every child has a ‘language acquisition device’ or LAD
Chomsky’s theory
applies to all languages as they all contain nouns, verbs, consonants and vowels and children appear to be ‘hard-wired’ to acquire the grammar.
