Week 6: Lang 2 & 3

Question 1

Explain Genie: the extreme case of depravation (social and language)

Answer 1

Genie was deprived of social and language interactions until the age of 12. But it was possible to learn labels! However, she was not able to learn important parts of grammar: pronouns, questions words.

Question 2

Does early exposure help language learning?

Answer 2

Yes, holds for second language learning: Easier when you are younger.

Question 3

What were shown in the grammar scores of immigrants who arrived earlier/later?

Answer 3

-Grammar scores of immigrants vary based on age when they arrived.
Earlier=better
-Children who arrive later (& adults) can learn language, but won’t sound native.

Question 4

What are iconic/non-iconic signs?

Answer 4

• Iconic signs: Perceived similarity between the sign and its meaning (non-arbitrary)
• Non-iconic signs: No perceived similarity between the sign and its meaning (arbitrary)

Question 5

Do you thinks infants and children find it easier to learn iconic signs?

Answer 5

Researchers looked at infants with Deaf parents and coded their first 10 signs to see whether they were more likely to be iconic
-3 of 10 signs were iconic on average.
Followed up at 18-months and looked at which percentage of the infants’ signs were iconic: 33% of signs were iconic on average.
THEREFORE, Iconicity is not necessary, and it not necessarily easier to learn.

Question 6

How did the Nicaraguan Sign language evolve?

Answer 6

Homesign systems –> First cohort –> second cohort –> third cohort

Question 7

What is a home sign?

Answer 7

Infants who are Dead and born with hearing parents create homesign systems Home sign: gesture-based communication system that has properties of language

• consistent grammar
• structured word order
• different from what parents are doing (more like a true language)

Question 8

Which is older the first cohort or third cohort?

Answer 8

First cohort (older) –> second cohort (second oldest) –> third cohort (youngest)

Question 9

Regarding the Nicaraguan sign language, were the youngest NSL signers more or less competent?

Answer 9

• youngest NSL signers are most competent (full blown language system)
• Youngest signers had a language model to learn from
• Older NSL signers had to create the language, so its not as complete

Question 10

Language and thought: What is spatial reasoning?

Answer 10

Languages talk about space in different ways

• Egocentric/relative: “To my left” [e.g., English, Dutch]
• Allocentric / absolute: “Yo the north” [e.g., Mayan]