Language Development and Acquisition

Linguistic Competence

The mastery of formal characteristics of language.

Phonology

The study of the sound system of a language.

Morphemes

The smallest units of meaning in a language.

Syntax (Syntactics)

The rules that govern how words and phrases are combined to form grammatically correct sentences.

Semantics

The study of meaning in language.

production

The process of speaking or writing language.

comprehension

The process of understanding speech or reading language.

Broca's Aphasia

A language disorder primarily affecting language production, often resulting in halting, ungrammatical speech.

Wernicke's Aphasia

A language disorder primarily affecting language comprehension, leading to fluent but often meaningless speech.

Prelinguistic Communication

Communication through non-linguistic means such as sounds, facial expressions, gestures, and imitation.

Babbling

The production of speech-like but meaningless sounds, typically beginning around 2-3 months of age and continuing for about a year.

Holophrases

One-word utterances that convey the meaning of a whole phrase, with their specific meaning dependent on the context in which they are used.

Telegraphic Speech

Early sentences that omit non-essential words (e.g., articles, prepositions) but retain the core meaning (e.g., "Daddy go car").

Learning Theory Approach

Explains language acquisition by the basic principles of reinforcement and conditioning.

shaping

A process where child language becomes more similar to adult speech through reinforcement of closer approximations.

Nativist Approach (Universal Grammar)

Posits that language comprehension and production are directed by a genetically determined, innate mechanism.

Noam Chomsky

Championed the Nativist Approach, proposing Universal Grammar and the Language-Acquisition Device (LAD).

Universal Grammar

An innate linguistic knowledge or set of principles shared by all humans, forming the basis for all human languages.

Language-Acquisition Device (LAD)

A hypothetical module in the brain responsible for processing and acquiring language, pre-programmed with universal grammar rules.

The Interactionist Perspective

Language development arises from a combination of genetically determined predispositions and environmental circumstances.

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis (Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis)

The core idea that language influences thought.

Strong Version (Linguistic Determinism)

States that language determines thought, directly constraining cognitive processes.

Weak Version (Linguistic Relativity)

States that language shapes but does not necessarily determine thought.

The Universalist Perspective

The core idea that thought shapes language; thought exists independently of language.

Fodor's Language of Thought Hypothesis

Proposes the existence of "mentalese" – a hypothetical, internal language of thought that serves as the true medium of cognitive processes.

Integrated Perspective (Madeline's Perspective)

A tentative perspective suggesting a dynamic, interactive relationship where culture, thought, and language influence each other in a complex, interconnected manner.

Infant/Child Directed Speech

A distinctive type of speech directed toward infants, characterized by short, simple sentences, higher pitch, exaggerated intonation, and slower tempo.

Fast Mapping

The process by which children quickly associate a new word with its meaning after only one or two exposures, without extensive instruction.

Grammar

The fundamental principles which are the rules governing the structure of a language system.

Descriptive Grammar

Describes how language is actually used by speakers.

Prescriptive Grammar

Proscribes how language should be used, according to established rules.

Private Speech

Spoken language not intended for others; children talking to themselves.

Vygotsky

Believed private speech is crucial for facilitating children's thinking, helping them control their behavior, and solving problems by verbalizing their thoughts.

Piaget

Believed private speech is largely egocentric, reflecting a child's inability to consider another person's perspective.

Word Gap

Children living in poverty are often exposed to significantly fewer words compared to their more affluent peers, leading to fewer opportunities to learn vocabulary.

Metalinguistic Awareness

The understanding of one's own language use and the ability to think about language as an abstract system, rather than just as a tool for communication.

Simultaneous Bilingualism

Learning two languages from birth.

Sequential Bilingualism

Learning a second language after the first language is already established.

Enhanced Inhibitory Control

The ability to suppress irrelevant information or responses, often seen in code-switching and managing two language systems, a cognitive advantage of bilingualism.

Delayed Cognitive Decline

A potential protective effect against age-related cognitive decline suggested by research on lifelong bilingualism.

Language Mixing

Where young children mix words from both languages within the same sentence, a normal developmental phase for bilingual children.

Code-Switching

Alternating between two or more languages in conversation.

Critical Period Hypothesis

Suggests that language acquisition is significantly easier and more successful during childhood, with adults facing cognitive and neurological constraints that make true native-like proficiency more challenging.