SLHS - Language

language truth

speakers of all languages are capable of producing and comprehending an infinite set of scentances

language

type of communication that uses socially shared code systems for representing concepts through arbitrary symbols that are rule governed

grammar

rules that determine the structure of sentences in a language

prescriptive grammar

textook grammar

descriptive grammar

what speakers of a language actually do

phonetics (input/output)

study of speech production and perception

phonology (form)

study of the sound system in a language and how sounds are used to encode meaning

phoneme

basic units of sound

allophones

multiple possible sounds used to produce a single phoneme

ambiguous speech

can hear other things that aren’t true

morphology (form)

study of how the basic units of meaning are combined i a language to convey ideas

root v affix (morphemes)

primary meaning v modify meaning (prefix of berry)

free v bond

real words v word that need to be combined with something (read-able v leg-ible)

content v function

meaning v grammatical info

mean length of utterance (MLU)

amount of morphemes in a scentance; used to track child’s language development

syntax

how to combine phrases and sentences “legally” + specifies relationship between the components of a science

sentence

string of words that is grammatically complete (subject + predicate)

form and meaning

syntax may be okay, but sentence may not make sense

semantics (meaning)

relation between signifiers and what they stand for

lexicon

inventory of words (most people use 10,000 of the words they know 95% of the time)

pragmatics

language use and function

pragmatic rules

organization of conversation

what did noam chomsky (natavist) argue?

speakers have an innate ability to learn the rules of language

surface structure

sequence if words in the sentance; what is actually being produced

deep structure

actual meaning of the sentence

what do empiricists argue?

language is acquired through experience, learning and interaction

absolute common features

pronouns

language tendencies

nasal constants

conditional language universals

If a language marks gender in nouns, then it also marks gender in pronouns

zebra finch

Learns father’s song by ~20 days

Adds own personal style by ~35 days

Song is set by 2-3 months

caribbean reef squid

Changes colors to communicate

Camouflage to hide from/scare off predators

Color, pattern & flashing to attract mates

worker bees

Find nectar, return to hive and communicate

location of food source

Contains discrete parts indicating direction,

distance, etc.

Meaning conveyed by movement

Fixed patterns: bees cannot adapt their signals

dolphins

Communication modes

◦ Clicks: echolocation/communication

◦ Whistles: FM signal for communication

◦ Signature whistles (name calls)

modality

The full complexity of human language can be expressed in the vocal/auditory OR the gestural/visual

how do animals use modalilty?

Vervets use the vocal/auditory

Bees use the gestural/visual

broadcast transmission and directional reception

Language is transmitted in all directions, but perceivers interpret it as coming from one specific direction

Rapid Fading/Transitoriness

The sounds or signs of language diminish quickly after being produced

Interchangeability

Members of the language community serve as both transmitters and receivers of the linguistic signals

how do animals use interchangeability?

Vervet calls can be produced by any animal

Only male zebra finches produce their individual song

Only queen ants produce a certain scent

total feedback

The transmitter of a linguistic signal also receives the signal; allows for self monitoring & error correction

how do animals use total feedback?

Chimps can suppress vocalization

specialization

Language production serves no direct biological function in itself

do animals have specialization

no, their. communication usually serves a biological purpose

semanticity

Linguistic signals are conventionally associated with specific meanings

do animals use semanticity?

yes; vervet and prairie dog alarm calls have specific meanings

arbitrariness

There is no connection between a signal and its meaning; We combine meaningless units (phonemes) into meaningful words and sentence

does animal communication have arbitrariness?

yes because while calls mean a specific thing (vervets) they still appear random

discreteness

Languages use a repertoire of discrete sound and meaning units; There is no continuous grading from one sound to another, such as to express shades of meaning

do animals have discreteness?

maybe we can’t tell

displacement

The meanings expressed in language are independent of the actual situation of use (can talk about things not in the present)

do animals have displacement?

no

productivity

The ability to create novel messages by combining already-existing sounds and words

do animals have productivity?

limited

traditional transmission

Although language has a biological basis, it must be learned in a social setting

do animals have traditional transmission?

yes; zebra finches

duality of patterning

A limited number of meaningless units are combined to create meaningful units; unique to humans

prevarication

language can be used to lie

do animals lie?

yes; shift blame

reflexiveness

Language can be used to refer to itself; unique to humans

learnability

Speakers of one language can learn another language

can animals learn language?

some birds can learn new songs

unique to human language

arbitrariness

displacement

productivity

duality of patterning

reflexiveness

cell body

maintenance and processing; gray matter

difference between gray matter and white matter

unmyelinated v myelinated

axon

transmits impulses away from cell body to other neurons, muscles or glands

dentrite

receives impulses and transmits them to cell body

synapse

meeting between an axon and a dendrite

central nervous system

Brain & spinal cord; Coordinate and direct large part of voluntary

activity

peripheral nervous system

Links all parts of the body to the CNS via cranial and spinal nerves; Includes both voluntary (somatic) and involuntary (autonomic) activity

sympathetic nervous system

excitatory response to stimulation

parasympathetic nervous system

damping response following excitation

afferent nerves

Transmit information to CNS from other body parts; sensory neurons

efferent nerves

Transmit information from CNS to body; motor neurons

cerebrum

higher functions (cognition, language, memory)

gyri

ridges of brain

sulci

grooves of brain

central sulcus

divides parietal and frontal lobes

lateral sulcus

divides parietal, temporal and frontal lobes

longitudinal fissure

divides left and right hemisphere (corpus callosum)

association corticies

Areas within the lobes for which specialized functions have not yet been identified ;Thought to be involved in complex, higher-level mental activity

frontal lobe

planning and execution of movements

parts of frontal lobe

pre frontal cortex, pre motor cortex, motor cortex

parietal

somatosensory cortex; sensation + spatial orientation

temporal

auditory processing, receptive language and memory

occipital lobe

visual

contralateral relationship (LH & RH)

One side of the brain controls the opposite side of the body (for the most part)

functional specialization

each hemisphere is dominant for particular behaviors

lateralization

we preferentially use one hemisphere more than others for certain functions

rostrum

part of corpus callosum; frontal lobes

genu

part of corpus callosum;frontal & parietal lobes

splenium

part of corpus callosum;temporal lobe

anterior commissure

part of corpus callosum; temporal lobe, olfaction, amygdala

arcuate fasciculus

fibers that connect brocas area and wernickes area

brocas aphasia (non- fluent)

Implicated in disorders such as stuttering and apraxia of speech

wernicke’s aphasia (fluent)

word salad; no meaning

conduction aphasia

lesion involving AF; difficulty repeating heard speech

global aphasia

leision of AF, brocas, and wernickes; impairments in all aspects of language

how many brodmann areas are there?

47