Language Development EXAM 1

Language

ASHA: “a complex and dynamic system of conventional symbols that is used in various modes for thought and communication”

Characteristics of language

1. Language is dynamic

2. Language is a code

3. Language is conventional- “rules that govern”

4. Language is a tool for human communication

The 7 purposes of communication

1. instrumental: ask/request for something

2. Regulatory: direct others and give directions

3. Interactional: social conversations

4. personal: express state of feelings/mind

5. Imaginative: tell stories/role-play

6. Heuristic: inquire to find out about something

7. Imformative: organized or description of an event

How are speech and language related

Language is NOT dependent on speech, but speech IS dependent is on language

LANGUAGE gives speech its meaning

3 Domains of Language and their components

1. Form: Phonology, Morphology, Syntax

2. Content: Semantics+ lexicon

3. Use: Pragmatics

Phonology

rules that govern the sounds used to make syllables, words

Morphology

rules that govern the internal organization of words

Syntax

rules that govern the internal organization of sentences

Semantics- CONTENT

the rules that govern the language and meaning of individual words and combinations of words

Pragamatics- USE

the rules that govern for social exchanges, communication intentions, conversations, and social conventions

5 reasons language is remarkable

1. species specificity: language is uniquely human

2. Acquisition rate": humans learn language quickly

3. University: the same cognitive process is used to learn all languages

4. Semanticity: the ability is represent detextualized events

5. Productivity: infiinte combo of words possible

“Language differences”

Describe natural variations in language secondary to factors

• variability among language users (dialects, gender differences)

“Language Disorders”

occur in individuals with significant difficulties in language achievement

• genetically linked

• secondary to developmental disabilities

Two ways infants begin to segment speech streams into individual words

1. Prosodic cues: infants draw familiarity with word and stress patterns or the rhythm of language

2. Phonotonic cues: infants become sensitive to the probability that certain sounds will occur in both general and specific positions of words

Why is it important that children develop good phonological awareness?

def: ability to attend to phonological units of speech

• It is the foundation of how they will learn to read and write- the auditory skill to know their sounds

Phonemic awareness

the awareness of individual phonemes in words and the ability to manipulate them

How phonological and phonemic awareness differ?

There is an important bridge between language and reading

• Underdeveloped phonological awareness can lead to difficulty developing basic reading skills

Two factors that influence the 5 components of language

1. Native language: not all phonemes are the same

2. Linguistic experience: Children develop phonological representations

What is MLU

Mean length Utterance- calculated by the number of morphemes counted, NOT words

• used to determine language development - important for the length of sentences they can say

What parts of language make up grammar?

Syntax and morphology

Science

generating and testing theories

Theory

decriptive statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena

B.F Skinner

method: Behaviorist

• learned through operant conditioning and reinforcement

• Language is NOT innate

Chompsky

method: Nativist

• learned with the Language Acquisition Device (LAD)

• Children are born with Universal Grammar (basic set of grammar rules

Vygotsky

method: Social interactionist

• Children learn language through their experiences and social interactions

• Zone of proximal development: the difference between the child’s actual and potential development

Piaget

method: cognitive

• Language development is the active role of the child- achievements in cognitive lead to achievements in language

• Language is acquired through imitation + schemas

Instrumental

used to ask for something

Regulatory

used to give directions or direct others

Interactional

used to interact and converse with others in a social way

Personal

used to express a state of mind or feelings about something

Heuristic

used to find out info or to inquire

Imaginative

used to tell stories or roleplay

Informative

used to provide an organized decription of an object or event