Chapter 6 PSY213

What are symbols used for in language?

To reflect thoughts, feelings, and knowledge and to communicate them to others.

What are the two main components required for language development?

Comprehension (understanding) and production (speaking).

Define generative in the context of language.

Finite sets of words can generate infinite ideas.

What is a phoneme?

The smallest unit of sound in language.

How many phonemes does English have?

45 phonemes.

What is a morpheme?

The smallest meaningful unit of a word.

How many meanings does the word 'dogs' encompass?

Two meanings: 'dog' and the plural 's' indicating multiple.

What does syntax refer to in language?

Rules about how words can be combined and the order in which they appear.

What is pragmatics in language?

Understanding how language is used in a specific cultural context.

What is a unique characteristic of language acquisition in humans?

It is a species-specific behavior; only humans can acquire language normally.

What can be said about Kanzi, the bonobo ape?

He knew 350 words but lacked syntactic structure.

How is language lateralization related to the brain?

For right-handed people, language processing is primarily in the left hemisphere.

What is a sensitive period for language learning?

Until age 5, the brain can learn many languages easily.

What happened to Genie regarding language acquisition?

She was unable to learn language beyond the level of a toddler after age 13.

What is bilingualism and how can it begin?

Bilingualism can start in the womb; infants can discriminate between different speech sounds.

What is infant directed speech?

Speech characterized by a higher pitch, slower tempo, and shorter utterances directed at infants.

What is process of language acquisition in infants defined by?

Begins in the womb with speech perception and prosody.

What does categorical perception of speech sounds involve?

Categorizing sounds based on their phonetic characteristics like Voice Onset Time (VOT).

What is perceptual narrowing in the context of language?

As children start to categorize sounds, they lose the ability to distinguish sounds not relevant to their language.

What does word segmentation refer to?

The ability to learn where words in speech begin and end.

What occurs in preparation for speech production around 6-8 weeks?

Babies begin to coo.

What is manual babbling?

Babbling with hands seen in babies immersed in sign language (ASL).

At what age do babies typically say their first words?

Around 10-15 months.

What is over-extension in language development?

Using one word to refer to many different things due to a limited vocabulary.

What is under-extension in language usage?

Using one word to refer only to a specific entity in one's life.

What is a vocabulary spurt and when does it usually happen?

A rapid increase in vocabulary typically occurring by 18 months.

What impact does socioeconomic status (SES) have on word learning?

Lower SES can result in less reading to children, impacting vocabulary growth.

What is mutual exclusivity in word learning?

The expectation that objects will only have one name.

Define whole object assumption in language development.

Children expect a new word to refer to a whole object rather than a part of it.

What are pragmatic cues?

Social and emotional cues that help give context to meaning of words.

In word categorization, what shape influences children's perception?

Children categorize objects based on their shape.

What is cross-situational word learning?

Learning words based on their association with objects present in different contexts.

What is syntactic bootstrapping?

Using grammar to infer the meaning of a new word based on its context in sentences.

How does technology impact children's learning?

Children learn better when they actively engage with another person rather than through passive means.

What is telegraphic speech?

Two-word utterances typically consisting of a noun and verb.

What is over-regularization in language development?

Treating irregular forms as if they are regular, such as saying 'goed' instead of 'went'.

What is private speech in children?

When children talk out loud to themselves, often seen in early developmental stages.

What are collective monologues during children’s conversations?

When children talk about different topics rather than engaging in a mutual conversation.

At what age to children start creating narratives with a beginning, middle, and end?

Around 5 years old.

What is the focus of later language development?

Learning more words, meanings, and understanding concepts like puns and sarcasm.

What theory posits that language is taught through reinforcement?

Behaviorism.

What is the nativist perspective on language acquisition?

Chomsky's theory that humans are born with universal grammar innate to all languages.

What does computational modeling aim to determine in language acquisition?

It manipulates both innate structures and environmental input to find crucial factors in language learning.

What is connectionism?

An approach that emphasizes the simultaneous activity of numerous interconnected processing units in language learning.

What are non-linguistic symbols?

Symbols that can be used for communication without using language.

What is dual representation in relation to symbols?

The ability to understand that a symbol can represent both a real object and something else.

At what age do children typically start drawing?

Around 3-4 years old.