Language Acquisition

Child-directed speech

Child-directed speech

Speech specifically adapted for or directed towards children, often characterized by simplified language and exaggerated intonation.

Expansion

A technique used in language acquisition where an adult repeats and elaborates on a child's utterance, providing a more grammatically complete response. Example: "Child: 'Doggy run.' Adult: 'Yes, the doggy is running in the park.'"

First language acquisition

The process through which a child learns their native language, typically occurring in the early years of life.

Fis phenomenon

A phenomenon during a child's language acquisition that demonstrates that perception of phonemes occurs earlier than a child's ability to produce the appropriate allophone.

Generativist approach

An approach to language acquisition that emphasizes innate cognitive structures and the role of Universal Grammar in language development.

Input

The linguistic exposure a learner/child receives from the environment, including spoken and written language.

Language acquisition

The process of learning a language, encompassing both first language acquisition in children and second language acquisition in individuals of any age.

Language Acquisition Device

A theoretical innate cognitive mechanism proposed by Noam Chomsky, assumed to be responsible for the human ability to acquire language.

Logical approach

An approach to language acquisition that emphasizes the role of nature.

MLU (mean length of utterance)

A measure used in language acquisition research to analyze and quantify the average length of a person's spoken utterances.

Nature

The role of inherent biological and genetic factors in language acquisition, emphasizing the influence of innate abilities.

Nurture

The role of environmental factors, including social interactions and exposure, in language acquisition.

Observational approach

An approach to language acquisition that focuses on nurture.

Overextension

A linguistic phenomenon in which a child uses a word to refer to a broader category than its typical meaning. Example: "A child calling all four-legged animals 'doggy' is an example of overextension."

Recast

A language intervention technique where an adult asks a question in order to prompt the child to produce mroe speech. Example: "Child: 'Him goed.' Adult: 'Yes, he left, where did he go?"

Second language acquisition

The process of learning a language additional to one's native language, often occurring in adolescence or adulthood.

Stages of phonological acquisition in the first two years

The sequential development of phonological abilities in infants during their first two years of life, involving the mastery of different speech sounds.

Underextension

A linguistic phenomenon in which a child restricts the use of a word to a narrower context than its typical meaning. Example: "A child referring to only one specific cup as 'cup' is an example of underextension."

Universal Grammar

A theoretical concept proposed by Noam Chomsky, suggesting that all human languages share a common underlying structure or set of principles.

Wug

A fictitious creature created by Jean Berko Gleason for a language acquisition study, used to investigate children's ability to apply grammatical rules. In the Wug Test, children were asked to pluralize 'wug' to assess their understanding of grammatical rules.

Behaviourism

A psychological theory that emphasizes the role of observable behaviors and external stimuli in the learning process, applied to language acquisition by B.F. Skinner. Behaviorism suggests that language acquisition results from imitation, reinforcement, and conditioning.

Competence

In the context of language acquisition, the underlying knowledge and understanding of a language, including grammar, vocabulary, and linguistic rules.

Construction

A specific grammatical pattern or sequence of words used to convey meaning in a language, often observed in language acquisition studies.

Construction grammar

A linguistic framework that emphasizes the role of constructions—pairings of form and meaning—in language structure and use.

First language acquisition

The natural process through which a child acquires their native language during early childhood.

Foreign language

A language that is not the native language of a particular individual or community.

Fossilisation

A phenomenon in language acquisition where errors or non-native features persist in a learner's language use, becoming resistant to correction.

Functional typology

An approach to linguistics that classifies languages based on their functional characteristics and communicative purposes.

Function-to-form-mapping

The process by which language users link communicative functions to specific linguistic forms or expressions.

Interference

The influence of a learner's native language on their second language production, resulting in errors or deviations from the target language norms.

Interlanguage

A linguistic system developed by second language learners that exhibits features of both the learner's native language and the target language.

L2, L3, Lx

Abbreviations for "Second Language," "Third Language," and "nth Language," respectively, indicating the order in which additional languages are acquired by an individual.

Language for specific purposes

The use of language tailored to meet the communicative needs of a particular domain or field, such as legal language or medical language.

Markedness

In linguistics, the concept of marking certain linguistic elements as more prominent or marked compared to others. Example: "In English, the plural form 'cats' is marked, indicating more than one, while 'cat' is unmarked for plurality."

Markedness Differential Hypothesis

A hypothesis proposing that marked linguistic elements carry more information and complexity than unmarked elements, influencing language acquisition patterns. The Markedness Differential Hypothesis predicts that learners may find marked structures more challenging to acquire.

Near-native

An individual who exhibits a high level of proficiency in a second language, approaching native-like competence.

Negative transfer

The influence of a learner's native language that results in errors or deviations from the target language norms.

Neurolinguistics

The interdisciplinary study of the neural mechanisms underlying language processing and language acquisition.

Performance

In the context of language acquisition, the actual use of language in communication, contrasting with linguistic competence.

Positive transfer

The beneficial influence of a learner's native language on their second language production, facilitating accurate language use.

Second language acquisition

The process of acquiring proficiency in a language beyond one's native language, typically occurring after the critical period for first language acquisition.

Target language

The language that a learner aims to acquire or achieve proficiency in during the process of language learning.

Transfer

The application of knowledge or skills from one language or domain to another, either positively or negatively influencing language learning.

Usage-based

An approach to language acquisition that emphasizes the importance of language use and exposure in shaping linguistic knowledge and competence. Usage-based theories suggest that language learning is influenced by the frequency and context of language use in everyday communication.