Task 6: Development of Language Flashcards
Siegler, articles
Generativity
Idea that through the use of finite set of words and morphemes in humans’ vocabulary, we can put together an infinite number of sentences and express an infinite number of ideas.
Phonemes
Elementary units of meaningful sound used to produce languages. A change in phoneme changes the meaning of a word.
Morphemes
Smallest units of meaning in a language, composed of one or more phonemes e.g. ban and pan
Syntax
Rules in language that specify how words from different categories can be combined e.g. man is not mans it is mens
Name the 4 types of development
- phonological
- semantic
- syntactic
- pragmatic
Phonological development
First step in language learning, characterized by the acquisition of knowledge about the sound system of a language.
Semantic development
Second component of language acquisition, characterized by learning about expressing meaning.
Syntactic development
Third component in language learning, characterized by learning rules for combining words.
Pragmatic development
Acquisition of knowledge about how language is used
Metalinguistic knowledge
Understanding of properties and function of language – that is, understanding of language as language.
Discuss the behaviourist approach to language development
believes that development is a function of learning through reinforcement and punishment of overt behavior.
Skinner – Parents teach children to speak by means of same kinds of reinforcement techniques that are used to train animals.
Discuss the nativist approach to language development
Suggests that language is an innate faculty, so we are born with a universal grammar in our brain.
Chomsky – Countered Skinner by pointing that we can understand and produce sentences that we have never heard before (= generativity).
Universal grammar
Proposed set of highly abstract, unconscious rules that are common to all language.
Name the 3 steps of the development of the phonological system
- speech perception
- speech production
- articulation
Speech segmentation
To learn relevant sounds of their language, infants must separate speech streams (= undifferentiated series of speech sounds) into individual sounds and combinations. This is facilitated by IDT (infant-directed speech). By age of 7 months, they are able to recognize familiar words in speech stream.
Categorical perception of speech sounds
- when?
Phonemes are sound categories in human speech and depending on the language, we use and discriminate different sets of phonemes. The process that allows us to discriminate different phonemes while making it difficult to discriminate phonemes within same category is called categorical perception
- 0 to 4 months
Becoming a native listener
Between 6 – 12 months, infants lose ability to discriminate sounds from non-native languages, while becoming experts at distinguishing sounds from native language (perceptual narrowing). This ability depends on experience.
Name the 5 steps of speech production
- reflexive vocalizations (birth to 2 months)
- cooing and laughing (2-4 months)
- babbling and vocal play (4-6 months)
- canonical babbling (6-10 months)
- modulated babbling (10 months +)
- reflexive vocalizations (birth to 2 months)
characterized by cries, coughs, burps and sneezes. Infant has different types of cries, which suggests that each has a different meaning.
- cooing and laughing (2-4 months)
Infants begins laughing and combining sounds with one another. Reciprocal cooing between infant and parent helps infant to learn that communication involves taking turns.
- babbling and vocal play (4-6 months)
Infants gain control over vocal cords, lips, tongue and mouth, and produce wide range of sounds and combinations, called babbling
- canonical babbling (6-10 months)
Sound combinations produced that sound like words. There is no evidence that infants understand it. Neither hearing human speech or having others respond to infant vocalizations is necessary for early babbling to occur, evidence of this lies on fact that deaf (parents) children also babble. Beyond age of 6 months, hearing speech plays role in continuation of babbling (deaf infants stop babbling).
- modulated babbling (10 months +)
Infants produce variety of sound combinations, stress and intonation patterns. They also begin to have meaningful speech. Modulated babbling plays role in acquisition of intonation patterns.
Development of articulation
Children know when they pronounce something wrong and thus, are more likely to use words that they can pronounce. As they learn to produce pronunciations, they make phonological distinctions that sometimes adults cannot perceive. This is done by saying the same word slightly different (‘gwass’ for grass and glass).