Week 1 Normal Language Accquisition

What is language?

a system of organized use of sounds, symbols; written or signed, for the purpose of communication or self-expression

communication is

the sharing of information between a sender and receiver

speech is

a verbal means of communication, involves the coordination of your breathing, with movement of the muscles in your face, mouth, and larynx

what are the seven stages of neurocellular developmeny

cell birth → migration → differentiation → neuronal maturation → synaptogenesis → apoptosis → myelinogenesis

syntax

rules that govern how words can be combined to form sentences

changing the order of words can change its meaning (same meaning different structure )

what happens during conceptualization

decide what we want to express based on intention and context

what happens during execution

articulatory plan sent to muscles to produce speech sounds: requires fine motor control

what does the speech comprehension system do

monitors internal and external speech; allowing self-correction and dysfluencies

what is morphology

the study of the rules that govern how morphemes are used in a language

morphemes are the most elemental grammatical unit in a given language (change in verb tense)

what is semantics

the meaning of words within a language, words have multiple meanings but as individuals we may not change the meaning of the words (changes message)

phonology is

refers to the study of sounds within a language and how sounds can be combined to form words

composed of the significant sounds within a language and the combination that makes them meaningful

pragmatics

studies the social contexts and aspects of how language is used

greetings, making demands, requesting info, conversational skills, ability to switch linguistic styles when communicating with different partners (same words different context with intended meaning)

grammar is comprised of

syntax and morphology

Bloom and Lahey language model

Form (syntax morphology phonology) + content (semantics) +use (pragmatics) = language

language in the brain requires

human interaction and begins in utero

Broca’s area is essential to

language in the brain

a neuron is

also called a nerve cell- cells that comprise the nervous system

neurons have 3 parts consisting of

cell body (holds the nucleus and other organelles of the cell), axon (carries nerve impulse from the cell to other neurons and muscles), dendrites (receive signals from other neurons and send the signal to the cell)

what is a teratogen

an agent that when exposed to a developing fetus or embryo during pregnancy, can cause structural abnormalities, poor growth, and functional disorders

the left hemisphere of the brain

language oral, written, and visual, analytical thought, detail-oriented perception, ordered sequencing, planning, right field vision and motor skills, cautious, rational

cellular level of brain development

networks and wiring are dependent on experience, stimulating environment increase intellectual development. physical repetition, triggers structural, chemical, and functional changes in the brain building pathways of neural plasticity

the right hemisphere of the brain…

involved in aspects of communication as well, intuitive thought, holistic perception, interpreting prosody, intonation, voice recognition, pragmatics, non-verbal, emotional thought, random sequencing, left field vision and motor skills

what are the four key stages in levelt’s model of speech and production?

conceptualization, formulation, execution, speech comprehension system

where is the larynx

under the epiglottis and above the trachea, consists of the vocal folds, subglottis, supraglottis, and glottis

‏CNS

initiates, plans, and coordinates the speech act, i.e what phonemes will be produced and in what order

plan gets sent to other systems

respiration

coordination of breathing with speech production

volume control

phonation

vocal folds vibrate to produce voiced sounds

pitch control

resonance & articulation

coordinating the muscles of the vocal tract to produce different speech sounds

includes lower articulators (lower lip, teeth, and tongue) and upper articulators (upper lip, teeth and roof of mouth)

what are the five building blocks of language

phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics

what happens during formulation

pre-verbal message translates a conceptual structure to a linguistic structure in grammatical and phonological encoding