Week 13: Language

Question 1

Language

Answer 1

A method of communicating information including: thoughts, ideas, emotions.

Question 2

Semanticity

Answer 2

The extent to which a language can use symbols to communicate meaningful messages.

Question 3

Generativity

Answer 3

Using many limited amount of symbols (words/vocabulary) strung together to communicate unlimited complex ideas and thoughts.

Question 4

Displacement

Answer 4

The ability to convey messages that are not tied to the immediate time, messages conveying information about the past, future or about some other time.

Question 5

Psycholinguistics

Answer 5

Branch of Cognitive Psychology

The study of learning language, understanding language and making language (acquisition, comprehension and production).

Question 6

Phonology

Answer 6

The rules that govern sound

Question 7

Phonemes

Answer 7

Distinct units of sound that distinguish one word from another word. “rice” vs “lice”

Question 8

Morpheme

Answer 8

Is the smallest unit of sound that has meaning. -ed is a morpheme that can be added onto another free morpheme and makes the meaning change into past tense.

Question 9

Pragmatics

Answer 9

The social rules of language that allows people to communicate meaningfully in different situations and for different purposes.

Question 10

Syntax

Answer 10

How words are strung together to form sentences and the rules of grammar.

Question 11

Articulators

Answer 11

Structures of the jaw that make speech

• tongue
• lips
• soft palate
• hard palate

Question 12

Coarticulation

Answer 12

Individual phonemes are not distinct and can change depending on what sounds come before and after it.

Question 13

IDT (Infant Directed Talk)

Answer 13

An exaggerated,emotionally expressive way of verbally or non verbally communicating with babies/infants/children.

It helps children differentiate between positive and negative tones and also is a key in understanding words and language overall.

Question 14

Overextend

Answer 14

When an infant is acquiring language and confuses the pragmatics (meaning in different situations) of labelling by generalizing content to a wider meaning than appropriate.

THINK: Marcus saying “baa” to any farm animal

Question 15

Underextend

Answer 15

When an infant is acquiring language and confuses the pragmatics (meaning in different situations) of labelling by limiting content to a more specific meaning than appropriate.

THINK: Parker saying “Parker, other parker” instead of Parker and Nelson.

Question 16

Telegraphic Speech

Answer 16

Phrases that are strung together with only nouns and verbs, in the correct order, that communicate a thought. (Telegraphs charged per letter so you try to convey the message in as little letters possible).

THINK: “Bring laundry”

Question 17

Nativism

Answer 17

The linguistics theory that children are born with an innate knowledge of grammar (Nature not nurture, Noam Chompsky)

Question 18

FOXP2

Answer 18

Serves as a proof to genetics vs nurture (proves the Nativist Theory)

The gene found on chromosome 7, discovered by Dr. Fisher that explained an interesting language disorder rooted in speech articulation. The KE family can think about a task and perform the task but they can not describe how to do the task. It will cone out as jumbled incoherent noises.

All mammals share this gene and it is thought to have diverged only 3 times over a 75 million year evolutionary period.

Question 19

Critical Periods

Answer 19

The linguistics theory that children must be exposed to language during a certain period of time- the first years of life and before puberty -in order to acquire and possess language (nurture not nature). Genie proves the Critical Period Hypothesis.

Question 20

Interactionist Theory

Answer 20

The linguistic theory that language is possessed through the interaction of many biological and social influences.

Belief that vocabulary spurt at 18 months isn’t a coincidence- it is the same time where children begin to reason, have complex thoughts and as a result of this, learn many new words.

Question 21

Complexity

Answer 21

Supports the Interactionist Theory saying that instead of grammar being innately dispositioned within us, it is bound to happen as a natural progression as communication evolves into something so complex. Just as bees don’t intend to make a hexagon shaped honey comb…it just is the most efficient shape when circles and tightly squeezed together.

Grammar is a property emerging from the complexity of a growing vocabulary.

Question 22

Social Process

Answer 22

Supports the Interactionist Theory saying that he environment you are in forces language to be acquired in order to socialize and be part of the community. Explains why children so easily learn different languages of native tongue instead of one universal programmed language humans created.

Question 23

The Clever Hans effect

Answer 23

Thinking that animals are using language when really they are reacting from visual clues so subtle that the trainer may not realize he is giving them off.

Question 24

The Clever Hans effect

Answer 24

Thinking that animals are using language when really they are reacting from visual clues so subtle that the trainer may not realize he is giving them off.

Question 25

Birdsong -subsong

Answer 25

Unstructured, low, rambling vocalizations made by baby birds (much like human babbling).

Question 26

Wernicke’s Area

Answer 26

Part of the brain in the left hemisphere that is responsible for the understanding of words and associated with the meaning of words.

Question 27

Wernicke’s Aphasia

Answer 27

A language disorder in which Wernicke’d area is not functioning normally. The affected person speaks with no accent, correct syntax, intonation, demeanour but has trouble understanding what other people are saying and can not understand their own speech.

Sounds fluent like a mad-lib missing words.

Question 28

Broca’s Area

Answer 28

Part of the frontal lobe in the brain where speech articulation is controlled and produces sounds that compose words.

Question 29

Broca’s Aphasia

Answer 29

A language disorder affecting Broca’s area. The affected person speaks with long pauses, stutters and simple telegraphic phrases. Capable of understanding, thinking and carrying out a task but can not describe it.

Question 30

Stages of speech acquisition in children

Answer 30

1-2 months cooing
4-10 months babbling 
8-16 months single words
24 months double words
24+ months complete meaningful phrases

Question 31

Cerebellum

Answer 31

Responsible for organizing and coordinating speech

Question 32

Basil ganglia

Answer 32

Responsible for articulating of speech and using grammatically correct phrases

Question 33

Hippocampus

Answer 33

Responsible for encoding semantics.