W 7 LAnguage & Other aspects of development

Question 1

5 components of language:

Answer 1

1. Phonology.
2. Morphology.
3. Semantics.
4. Syntax.
5. Pragmatics.

Question 2

Phonology

Answer 2

refers to the actual sound of language

Question 3

Morphology

Answer 3

refers to the structure of words: many words are composed of multiple building blocks called morphemes, each of which connotes a particular meaning

ex: redesigned: re = do it again, design = verb root meaning “create”, ed = action in the past

Question 4

Semantics

Answer 4

refers to the association of meaning with a word

child must learn that certain combinations of phonemes represent certain physical objects or events and that words may refer to entire categories, for ex - animals

Question 5

Syntax

Answer 5

refers how words are put together to form sentences

children must be able to distinguish that the sentence “John has only three pieces of candy.” has a different meaning than the sentence “Only John has three pieces of candy.”

Question 6

Pragmatics

Answer 6

refers to the dependence of language on context and pre-exiting knowledge = manner in which we speak may differ depending on the audience and our relationship to the audience

ex: asking f/ a seat in the bus and in the study room

Question 7

important pre-cursor of language

Answer 7

bubbling:

children, including deaf children, spontaneously begin to bubble during their first year

Hearing children: Reaches its highest frequency at 9-12 mths
Deaf Children: Verbal babbling ceases soon after it begins

Question 8

timeline of language acquisition (fairly consistent among children):

Answer 8

12-18 months: add 1 word per month
18 months: explosion of language (child learns dozens of words)
18-20 months: begin to combine words to form basic sentences. From “apple” to “that apple”
by the age of 2-3 y.o.: children can speak in longer sentences. Vocabulary grows exponentially. As child creates longer sentences grammatical errors increase. This is the period where the child internalises the complex rules of grammar. ex: is funner instead of funnier

Question 9

Observational and Operant Conditioning language theories:

Answer 9

explain learning and meaning of words (from association) but they do not explain complex grammar

Question 10

Nativism language theory:

Answer 10

Innate predisposition towards language

Critical period between 2 y.o. through puberty (12-13 y.o.). Later training largely ineffective

ex: Mowgli of Avignon forest?

Question 11

Chomsky’s theory of Language Acquisition Devise (LAD):

Answer 11

• support studies based on animals
• no brain region where LAD is located

Question 12

Interactionism language theory:

Answer 12

Nature + nurture: combination of biology and social opportunity to learn the language

Question 13

Whorfian Hypothesis about language:

Answer 13

Language affects our thinking, influences our cognition

Question 14

Vygotsky’s Theory of Social Development:

Answer 14

• The role of social interaction in cognitive development
• The role of culture
• The role of language in learning

Question 15

Children’s understanding of illness vary according to age and stage of development:

Answer 15

2-4 y.o.: Phenomenism - particular objects appear to cause illness

4-7 y.o.: Contagion - illness is caused by proximity to ill people or objects

7-9 y.o.: Contamination - illness is caused by physical contact with ill people - may be seen as a form of punishment. Ex: didn’t wash my hands => became sick

9-11 y.o.: Internalisation - illness is located within the body but may be caused by external factors (e.g., cold)

11-16 y.o.: Physiological - illness is caused by malfunction of organs or systems that may be due to infections

16+y.o.: Psychophysiological - psychological factors such as stress and fatigue may affect physiological processes rather than only being an
outcome