test 1 study guide Flashcards
language
System of arbitrary symbols that is rule based, dynamic, generative, and used as a social tool in communication
expressive vs receptive language
Expressive: ability to share thoughts and meanings through words
Receptive: ability to understand others’ spoken language (auditory comprehension)
5 components of language
- Phonology: how sounds are combined to make words
- Morphology: how words and smaller units are combined to form other words
- Semantics: how words correspond to things and events in the world; how language reflects a speaker’s intent or feelings
- Syntax: how words are combined to express meaning in sentence structures
- Pragmatics: use of language in different social interactions; rules for appropriate social interaction
phonology
how sounds are combined to make words
morphology
how words and smaller units are combined to form other words
semantics
how words correspond to things and events in the world; how language reflects a speaker’s intent or feelings
syntax
how words are combined to express meaning in sentence structures
pragmatics
use of language in different social interactions; rules for appropriate social interaction
communicative competence
Ability to communicate a message and understand concepts being communicated
linguistic competence
Use of morphology, phonology, syntax, and semantics
communication
Process of exchanging information about a speaker’s ideas, thoughts, feeling, needs, etc.; can be verbal, written, gestural
encodes
Transmitting information
decodes
Comprehending information
paralinguistic cues
Affect (facial expression)
Word stress
Gesture (head nod)
Speech rate and rhythm
Posture
Volume or intensity
Physical (distance)
Pitch
Intonation (statement v question) Inflection
Language Acquisition Device
The concept that infants have an instinctive mental capacity that enables them to acquire and produce language. Humans are born with an innate facility for acquiring language and without this, children would be unable to learn language as quickly as they do
Language Acquisition theories
Speech Acts
Behavioral
Cognitive
Social Interaction
Emergentism
Principles and Parameters
Speech Act Theory
Dore
theorizes language acquisition is based on semantic-pragmatic unit “speech acts”- label intent or meaning and result in an action
Consists of : utterances, questions, requests, promises, commands
Focused on communicative competence, not linguistic competence
3 stages: prelinguistic (development of cognition and affect) linguistic (1 word utterances) appearance of syntax
Behavioral Theory
Skinner
language dev. is based on operant conditioning (+ or – rx)
Positive reinforcement given for developmentally appropriate utterances
Chaining used to produce longer sentences
Imitation plays a role in language development, especially ritualized acts
Principles and Parameters Theory
Chomsky
language acquisition is based on innate structure in brain (LAD); language spoken in environment provides parameters for correct form
Principles: language general rules (apply to all languages)
Parameters: language specific rules (syntactic rules that vary with languages)
Social Interaction Theory
language acquisition is based on social interactions and experience with language used in the environment (children possess desire to interact and adults or children with greater knowledge guide
Zone of Proximal Development: distance between what a child can do independently and level of potential development (retrospective-independent/prospective- learned with assistance)
Scaffolding: conversational recasts that add new information, but maintain meaning (extension, expansion, recasts, models)
Cognitive Theory
Piaget
language acquisition and cognition are connected
Schemas (psychological structures) allow children to understand meaning of things in their environment
Emergentism
language acquisition is based on emergent effect of these factors:
Cognition: (TOM) child’s understanding of speaker’s thoughts and feelings
Intention reading: understand goal and meaning associated with linguistic form
Pattern finding: sensitivities to regularities in language they hear
Social Interactions: child’s desire to interact
Pragmatic skills: methods of interaction during play and conversation
Attention factors: ability to focus on conversation or task
scaffolds
conversational recasts that add new information, but maintain meaning (extension, expansion, recasts, models)
3 stages of children’s language development
prelinguistic (development of cognition and affect)
linguistic (1 word utterances)
appearance of syntax
primitive speech acts
Communicative intentions before development of language
Labeling, answering a ?, requesting, greeting, repeating, protesting, calling
zone of proximal development
distance between what a child can do independently and level of potential development (retrospective-independent/prospective- learned with assistance)
operant conditoning
positive or negative reinforcement
idea that if an action is positively reinforced, it it more likely to occur again
Broca’s Area
Located in left, front side of the brain by Borca
Important for speech and language development as it activates articulators
Associated with phonology, semantics, syntax, and motor control
Wernicke’s Area
Located in temporal lobe
used in language comprehension and speech reception
Neuroplasticity
Brain’s ability to grow and change when exposed to new information or experiences
neurons
Basic functional unit of the nervous system that send/receives electrical signals
soma
Body of the cell, maintains function and integrates and transmits information to cells
axon
Projection of the nerve cell that conducts impulses FROM the neuron
dendrite
Projection of the cell that gathers information and directs it TO the neuron
myelin
White sheath that covers some nerve fibers; allows rapid transmission (50x faster)
components of central nervous system
Brain and spinal cord
components of peripheral nervous system
Spinal and cranial nerves (outside of spinal cord and brain)
type of information that spinal nerves transmits
Motor and sensory information
systems within the peripheral nervous system
Somatic nervous system: carries motor and sensory information (voluntary actions)
Automatic nervous system: innervates muscles and glands for involuntary actions
right side vs left side of the brain
Right: attention, memory, reasoning, problem solving
functions: visual perception/processing, understanding and producing facial and voice emotion, attention and shifting attention
Left: language, logical thought, critical thought, reasoning
Functions: understanding and producing language, memory for spoken and written language
four lobes on cerebrum
Frontal: motor, premotor, prefrontal
Temporal: Wernike’s area, language processing and language comprehension
Occipital: visual processing
Parietal: somatosensory area, transmits spatial info to motor, sense of position, lang. comprehension, and spacial orientation
Heschel’s Gyrus
Primary auditory area that processes sound properties (freq. loudness, tone)
Subcortical areas of the brain
- Thalamus
- Hypothalamus
- Basal Ganglia
- limbic system
- Cerebellum
role of the brainstem
Controls messages between brain and the rest of the body
Medulla Oblongata: respiration to support vocal production
Mid brain: relay station for visual and auditory information
Pons: swallowing, hearing, facial expression, sensation
thalamus
sensory integrator that conveys sensory and motor information to and from cerebral cortex; responsible for sleep, emotion, and arousal
hypothalamus
basic functions (eating, temperature, etc.)
basal ganglia
motor control of muscle tone and posture; organization and guidance for motor functions
limbic system
self-preservation, memory, olfaction
cerebellum
motor control for connected speech efforts; coordinates respiration, articulation, and phonatory muscles
