LING 316 - Envr and Bio influences

What do all children achieve despite growing up in different environments?

They acquire their native language to a high level by age 4-5.

Suggests biological role because the outcome is the same everywhere.

Do all humans have language?

Yes - it is a defining trait of being human (no society exists without it)

What is nativism?

The theory that human are born with innate language abilities (building blocks in our genes)

Ex. babies babble or cry to get attention - shows natural communication instinct

What is empiricism?

The theory that language is learned entirely through experience.

What role do cognitive abilities play in empiricism?

The brain acts like a powerful computer, noticing patterns and building categories.

What are “cognition constraints”?

Built-in limits of the brain that shape which language structures are easy or hard to learn.

What happens at 1 year?

One-word productions

What happens at 2 years?

Vocabulary spurt, 2-3 sentences

e.g. mommy go park

nouns/verbs in order

What happens at 2-5 years?

Use of complex sentences and morphemes (-ed, -s)

What happens at 5 years?

Speech is adult-like.

Why do parents adapt their speech?

Because children are cognitively immature and just starting to understand language.

Do caregivers only use simple sentences with CDS?

No

Children may say “I want ball”

But caregivers use variety: “do you want the red ball?”.

Does simplifying input make kids learn faster?

No

Learning depends more on children’s cognitive ability to find patterns

How do deaf children with deaf parents develop language?

They follow a typical learning course using sign language

How do deaf children with hearing parents who don’t sign develop language?

They may invent “home signs” but won’t develop full natural language use.

How do bilingual kids acquire language compared to monolingual kids?

At the same speed - two languages in the time others learn one.

What did Newport’s (1990) ASL study find?

• Exposed to ASL from birth = high proficiency

• Exposed at 4-6 years = also high proficiency

• Exposed after 12 = lower proficiency

Shows that there is a critical period for learning language

What does “poverty of the stimulus” mean?

Children don’t hear enough detailed info to fully learn language from input alone - suggests they use built-in abilities.

Ex. kids learn grammar rules even though adults don’t always give them complete examples

What are 4 things researches must explain about language learning?

1. Initial state - what kids start with (inborn abilities)

2. Final state - what they end with (adult speech)

3. Learning mechanism - how they get from start to end

4. Role of input - how hearing (exposure to) language helps the process

Why is the model of the adult state important?

Because we need a clear picture of the end goal to explain how children get there.

Why must researchers agree on the final state?

If they define the end goal differently, their explanations of the starting point and learning process can’t be compared.