Chapter 10 - The Development of Language

+ Lecture 8

Steven Pinker

Language is an adaptation:

1. Language is universal

2. Languages conform to a universal design

3. Children pass through a universal series of stages in acquiring a language

4. If children are put together without a pre-existing language, they will develop one of their own

5. Language and intelligence are doubly dissociable in disorders

nativist perspective: Noah Chomsky

• universal grammar

S-structure: surface structure – the actual spoken sentence (different in different languages)

D-structure: deep structure – abstract representation of a sentence (universal grammar; the same in different languages)

Chomsky’s “poverty of stimulus” argument

1. Language requires the ability to connect d-structures to s-structures.

2. Children only hear the s-structure. The d-structure must be innate.

overregularisation:

Typically shown in irregular forms: (I goed, I eated, I seed).

Up until the age of 7 children overregularize.

Children apply syntactic rules (d-structure)

Explicit indication that language learning is not based on conditioning

overgeneralisation:

Creating a new verb by adding the suffix–ing: (I’m ballerining, It’s weathering).

3. Language input is complex.

4. Children receive little feedback about grammar.

Parents repeat ungrammatical sentences. Parents even reinforce ungrammatical sentences (“No dinosaur no go here.”, “That’s right.”)

3. Children acquire language quickly and easily.

universal design of language

A lot of criticism:

• The myth of language universals – languages are too diverse and do not show universal design

• Parental role in providing language models – sophisticated vocabulary use with toddlers explains additional variation in children’s later vocabulary

• Innate knowledge or a predisposition to learn a language? – constructivist approach to language development.

Conclusion:

Language development needs:

• Universal Grammar

• Experience

• General learning mechanisms (non-specific to language)

Language systems:

• Pragmatic system: e.g., turn-taking

• Phonological system: speech perception and production

• Syntactic system: understanding and producing grammar

• Semantic system: understanding the meaning of words

development of the pragmatic system

• Proto-conversations: Involve many social, cognitive and motor skills

• Imitation

• Initiating interactions

• Maintaining conversations

• Repairing faulty conversations

All part of “shared intentionality” - the ability and motivation to engage with others in collaborative, cooperative activities with joint goals and intentions.

development of the phonological system

• Speech segmentation

How does an infant learn this?

• Infant-directed speech / motherese / baby talk:

  • Higher pitch

  • More exaggerated pitch contours

  • Larger pitch range

  • More rhythmic

  • Slower

  • Universal, even in sign language

Infants prefer motherese! (prefer singing even more).

• Infants remember motherese better

• Emotional component (“happy talk”)

• Interactive component