Module 28: Language and Thought

Language

our spoken, written, or signed words and the ways we combine them to communicate meaning

Phonemes

the smallest, distinctive sound unit in a language

Morphemes

smallest unit that carries meaning, may be a word or prefix/suffix

Grammar

system of rules that enable us to communicate with and understand others

Syntax

correct way to string words together to form sentences for a given language

Babbling stage

stage in speech development during which an infant utters various sounds unrelated to household language (usually around 4 months)

One-word stage

age 1-2, during which child speaks mostly in single words

Two-word stage

age 2, child speaks mostly in two-word sentences

Telegraphic speech

early speech stage in which a child uses mostly nouns and verbs

Aphasia

impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage to either Broca’s or Wernicke’s area

Broca’s area

frontal lobe brain area, helps control language expression with muscle movements in speech

Wernicke’s area

brain area involved in language comprehension and expression

Linguistic determinism

Whorf’s hypothesis that language determines the way we think

Linguistic relativism

the idea that language influences the way we think