AP Psych Unit 3 | Language Development

language

a system of communication using symbols, sounds, and grammar to convey thoughts, feelings, and meaning

• approx. 7000 known languages spoken today

critical period

a specific time frame in early childhood when the brain is most receptive to learning language → easier to acquire fluency

phonemes

the smallest distinct units of sound in a language that can change the meaning of a word

morphemes

the smallest units of meaning in a language, such as prefixes, suffixes, and root words

semantics

the study of meaning in language

• focuses on how words, phrases, and sentences convey meaning

grammar

the set of rules that govern how words are combined to form sentences

• enable clear and meaningful communication in a language

syntax

the set of rules that determines the arrangement of words and phrases to form sentences in a language

• affects sentence structure and meaning

cooing

early stage of language development where infants produce repetitive, soft vowel sounds

• typically starts around 2 months of age

babbling stage

phase in language development where infants produce repetitive consonant-vowel combinations

• typically starts around 4-6 months of age

one-word stage

phase in language development where children use single words to represent whole sentences or ideas

• around age 1

two-word stage

phase in language development where children start combining two words to form simple phrases

• around age 2

overgeneralization

common error in language development where children apply grammatical rules too broadly

• “goed” v.s. “went”

• “tooths” v.s. “teeth”

nonverbal manual gestures

hand or arm movements used to communicate without speaking, such as pointing, waving, or making signs

• often convey emotions, intentions, or directions