SEJIL Flashcards

Question

Theories of language acquisition?

Answer 1

Imitation * language acquisition a process of imitation and reinforcement – i.e. children learn to speak by copying the utterances heard around them and by having their responses strengthened by the repetitions, corrections, and other reactions that adults provide * this theory does explain why children use forms like wented, taked, mices, mouses, and sheeps – they did not hear these patterns from adults, but they used them, because children assume that grammatical usage is regular, and try to work out for themselves what the forms ought to be – a reasoning process known as analogy Innateness * an alternative proposal arising out of Noam Chomsky’s generative linguistics * it was argued that children must be born with an innate capacity for language development: the human brain is ready for language, in the sense that when children are exposed to speech, certain general principles for discovering or structuring language automatically and efficiently begin to operate  these principles constitute a child's language acquisition device (LAD) * many scholars agree that some such notion is needed to explain the remarkable speed with which children learn to speak and the considerable similarity in the way grammatical patterns are acquired across different children and languages Cognition * argues that language acquisition must be viewed within the context of a child’s intellectual development * linguistic structures will only emerge if there is a solid cognitive foundation in place  for instance, before children can use structures of comparison (This car is more significant than that), they must first have developed the conceptual ability to make relative judgments of size

Answer 2

* for many years, following the innateness hypothesis, the role of adult language in children’s development was underestimated. However, research on motherese (a term from the 1970s) showed that the language mothers use with their children is not as simplistic or fragmented as previously thought. Instead, mothers often simplify their speech, using specific utterances to clarify meaning. They also frequently use diminutive and reduplicative words (like "doggie" or "choo choo") * Later studies highlighted the importance of fatherese, showing that fathers also play a crucial role in their children’s language development. Overall, extensive research on parentese (or caretaker speech) has been vital in enhancing our understanding of how adult language impacts children's language acquisition.

Answer 3

1. Stage 1 (0-8 weeks): Basic Biological Noises o Babies make reflexive sounds related to biological needs, like breathing and eating. o These early sounds are not language-specific but share features with later speech, such as the use of airflow, rhythmic vocalization, and pitch patterns. 2. Stage 2 (8-20 weeks): Cooing and Laughing o Babies begin to coo, producing sounds as they start to control their tongue and vocal cords. o There’s noticeable lip movement and tongue thrusting, indicating the first steps toward speech production. 3. Stage 3 (20-30 weeks): Vocal Play o Babies produce longer segments of sound, combining consonants and vowels in repeated sequences, showing more complexity in their vocalizations. 4. Stage 4 (25-50 weeks): Babbling o Babbling becomes more stable, using a smaller set of sounds (like "bababa") repeatedly. o This stage is linked to later spoken language, with the brain playing a key role in developing these sounds. 5. Stage 5 (9-18 months): Melodic Utterance o Towards the end of the first year, babies’ sounds begin to show variations in melody, rhythm, and tone. o Parents start to interpret these utterances as having intentions, such as asking questions or expressing wants.

Answer 4

* Holophrases: These are single-word utterances that convey the meaning of longer sentences. For example, when a child says "Ball," it could mean any of the following: "This is a ball," "Give me the ball," "Kick the ball," "This is my ball," or "Is it a ball?" * Early Sentences: Around the age of 2, many children begin to produce sentences that are three to four words long. * Major Grammatical Advances: By age 3, children typically make significant strides in grammar, beginning to create sentences that contain more than one clause. * Subordination: Sentences that use subordinating clauses (dependent clauses that cannot stand alone) appear later in development. * Asking Questions: In the earliest stages, children often use intonation to indicate questions, such as saying, "Is Daddy there?" A key advancement occurs when they learn to use the verb "to be." * Common Errors in Question Formation: Two-year-olds often make typical errors when forming questions, such as: * "Whose is that?" (instead of "Whose is this?") * "What are you did?" (instead of "What did you do?") * "What did you bought?" (instead of "What did you buy?") * "Is it’s my car?" (instead of "Is it my car?") * "Don’t he wanted it?" (instead of "Doesn’t he want it?")

Answer 5

* Word Acquisition Rate: On average, it takes children about 4.8 months to expand their vocabulary from 10 to 50 words. * Content of Early Vocabulary: Young children’s early vocabulary primarily consists of “here and now” words, which relate to their immediate environment and experiences. Categories of Early Vocabulary: 1. People: daddy, baba, grandma, man, and postman (usually relatives and visitors). 2. Actions: give, jump, kiss, gone, bye-bye, and hello. 3. Food: milk, juice, drink, and apple. 4. Body Parts: such as mouth and nose. 5. Clothing: nappy/diaper, shoes, and coat. 6. Animals: like doggie, cat, horse, and lion. 7. Vehicles: car, choo-choo, and brrm (often imitative sounds). 8. Toys and Games 9. Household Objects: 10. Deictic Words: words that indicate position or ownership, such as that, mine, and them.

Answer 6

Children do not simply learn a word along with its meaning; instead, they must figure out what each word means through their experiences. This process often leads to errors as they explore language. 1. Overextension: o In this error, children use a word too broadly, applying it to objects that share some common feature, such as shape, color, or size. o Examples:  “Dog” might be used to refer to all animals.  “Moon” could be used for all round objects. 2. Underextension: o Here, children use a word in a more limited way than it is used by adults, applying it to fewer examples than it should encompass. o Examples:  “Dog” might only refer to the family pet and not to other dogs.  “Shoes” might only refer to the child’s own shoes and not to anyone else's. 3. Mismatch: o In this case, children use a word incorrectly without any clear reason for the mistake. The connection between the word and the object is often unclear or nonsensical. o Examples:  Referring to a telephone as a “tractor.”  There’s usually no obvious link to explain why the child makes this misidentification.

Answer 7

From the moment a baby is born, mothers instinctively engage in communication, even though the baby doesn’t yet have language skills. * Early Communication: Mothers often talk to their newborns using the baby’s natural sounds, such as coos or cries. For example, a mother might playfully challenge her baby: "Where is it? Come on, come on, come on. You haven’t got any. I don’t believe you." * Development of Interaction: Around 5 weeks, the interaction becomes more emotional as babies start to smile. Mothers adjust their speech in response to their baby's sounds, using softer voices when the baby coos. * Increasing Engagement: As babies show more interest in their surroundings, mothers begin to speak more loudly to capture their attention. They also use exaggerated intonation and often repeat phrases to reinforce learning. * Active Participation: After 6 months, as babies explore and move purposefully, mothers provide more detailed comments about their actions and the environment. * Attention and Observation: Between 8 and 10 months, babies start trying to engage others by pointing and follow conversations, looking back and forth between speakers. By the time babies start to speak their first words, they have learned a lot about how conversations work and how to engage with others through observation and practice.

Answer 8

 First language – the language first acquired as a child (mother tongue or native language)  Second language – a non-native language, esp. one that has an official role in a country or an institution  Foreign language – a non-native language, esp. One that has no official status in a country

Answer 9

First language acquisition: Children’s acquisition of their native language; Primarily a subconscious process; Does not require explicit instructions or education; Learners reach native fluency Second language acquisition: Learning a language after acquiring one’s mother tongue; Primarily an active and conscious process; Requires explicit instructions or education; Often difficult to reach native-like fluency