Biological Bases of Language Acquisition Part 3

What makes language and language acquisition possible?

• specialization

• human language (characteristics)

• acquisition

Describe language acquisition for children

• acquire language

  • a grammar (system of rules)

  • used for communication

Describe language acquisition for animals (primates)

• can communicate (e.g. sign language)

• cannot acquire a grammar

What are the major differences between primates and children when it comes to acquisition?

• rate of acquisition

• retention

• errors

• function of language

Explain the similarities between children and primates with acquisition?

• understand (comprehend) more than they can say (produce)

What are the mechanisms of acquisition?

• categorical perception

• statistical learning

What is categorical perception?

• processing of speech sounds

  • done using categories

• categorical perception e.g VOT /pa/ /ba/

  • shared across species but categoires and boundaries differ

What is statistical learning?

• ability to isolate repeating units in the speech stream

• e.g . padotigolabubidagolabupiro 

• shared across species

• differences in preference

  • syllables (primates) vs sounds (infants)

What is language faculty used for?

• to capture similarities and differences between primates and children

• specifically focusing on language acquisition

language faculty is __________ and ___________

• broad

• narrow

How is language faculty broad?

It’s the basic biological capacity for language acquisition

What mechanisms of acquisition are broad? Why?

• Both categorical perception and statistical learning are

• They are shared across species

What makes language faculty narrow?

the ability to acquire language (grammar) is unique to us (humans)

Which language faculty category includes Language acquisition device (LAD)? Why is this useful?

• narrow

• helps children acquire language during the critical period