W9 Language Acquisition Research Theories Flashcards
What are the stages of language acquisition from 0-2.5 years?
0-6 weeks: Vegetative sounds
6 weeks: Cooing
16 weeks: Laughter
16 weeks - 6 months: Vocal play
6-12 months: Babbling
10-18 months: Single-word utterances
18 months: Two-word utterances
2 years: Telegraphic speech
2.5 years: Full sentences
What challenges exist in studying language acquisition in young children?
Infants cannot articulate understanding
Toddlers may not respond or may know but not say words
Responses can be misleading
What are some methodologies used to study early language comprehension and production?
Parental reports
A. Diary studies
B. Checklists
Observational data
What is the difference between tokens and types in language development?
Token: Total number of words a child utters
Type: Number of different words a child utters
What is the significance of observational studies in language acquisition research?
They allow researchers to observe natural language use without imposing adult-like expectations or questions.
Describe the differences between longitudinal and cross-sectional studies.
Longitudinal: Tracks individual development over time.
Cross-sectional: Assesses abilities across different age groups at one point in time.
What are some experimental techniques used to study speech perception in infants?
High Amplitude Sucking (HAS)
Heart rate measurement
Looking time
Conditioned Head Turn
Explain the concept of habituation in the context of infant research.
Habituation is a decrease in response to a repeated stimulus, indicating familiarity. Novelty preference occurs when infants show increased attention to new stimuli.
What is the role of prenatal speech perception in language acquisition?
Infants can hear sounds in the womb and show preference for their mother’s voice and familiar stories shortly after birth.
What are some key arguments for Nativist theories of language acquisition?
Children acquire language rapidly and with similar milestones.
They can’t solely learn language from adult input due to “poverty of the stimulus.”
Innate structures (like a Language Acquisition Device) are proposed to facilitate learning.
What is the Social Interactionist perspective on language acquisition?
Emphasizes the importance of social context and interaction; language learning is a part of communication behavior developed through interaction.
How does Child-Directed Speech (CDS) assist in language acquisition?
CDS features slower speech, exaggerated intonation, and simpler vocabulary, which helps infants learn to segment words and understand language structure.
