3.5 - communication and language development

Language

Shared system. Rule-governed & generative. The way we communicate meaning

Phonemes

Smallest distinctive sound units used in a language

• bat = b-a-t

Morpheme

Smallest units with meaning

• un-break-able

Grammar

Rules that enable communication

Syntax

Sentence structure

Semantics

Deriving meaning from sounds combined to sentences

Cooing

1st step of experimenting with vocalization. Vowel-like

Babbling stage

Utter various sounds. Consonant & vowel pairing

• dada

Overgeneralization

Linguistic rule applied too broadly

• Foots

Inborn universal grammar

Inborn, built-in predisposition

Critical period

Time where brain is best able to learn certain skills

Sensitive periods

Easier to acquire a second language

Imprinting

Newborn attaches to their caregiver during critical period

Linguistic determinism

Language determines the way we think

Linguistic influence

Our words affect thinking

Mental rehearsal

Imagining an activity activates the same brain regions as actually doing it

Nonverbal communication

Facial expressions, body language, gestures etc.