LECTURE 1: FOUNDATIONS OF LANGUAGE AND METHODS

what is language

a communication system dependent on 3 critical features: intentionality (desire to communicate), reference (symbols stand for things), and syntax (productive rules for combining symbols

example of language

Real-Life Example: Human speech uses words to refer to specific objects intentionally and combines them using rules. In contrast, animal calls (like a vervet monkey's alarm call) lack syntax and open-ended structural rules.

Nativism / Formalist View (Nature)

The theoretical perspective that language is innate, driven by a biological Language Acquisition Device (LAD) + Universal Grammar. Language structure comes first.

• Real-Life Example: A child effortlessly mastering complex grammatical structures without formal instruction, supported by evidence like the "poverty of the stimulus".

Interactionism / Functionalist View (Nurture)

The perspective that language is learned through the interaction of innate capacities and the environment (domain-general skills like statistical learning, memory, and social attention). Language use comes first.

• Real-Life Example: Children from different socio-economic backgrounds show variations in vocabulary growth depending on the quantity and quality of caregiver linguistic input.

Broca's Aphasia vs. Wernicke's Aphasia

Broca's Area Damage: Impaired production (non-fluent, lacks grammar/function words), but intact comprehension

Wernicke's Area Damage: Impaired comprehension, but fluent production (though speech lacks meaning/is nonsensical)

• Real-Life Example: A patient with Broca's aphasia says, "Walk store," while a patient with Wernicke's aphasia speaks fluently but says things like, "The door narrow down the apple path."

Pidgins vs. Creoles

• Pidgin: A quick, basic mix of languages used just for trading or working. It has no native speakers.

• Creole: A full, native language passed down to children, with a complete grammar system and large vocabulary. [1, 2]

• Real-Life Example: Adults speaking different native tongues trade on a port and use a basic pidgin to barter; their children grow up hearing it and instantly transform it into a fully grammatical creole

critical theory hypothesis

a biologically sensitive period for learning language, from birth to puberty

components of language

Phonology (sounds), Lexicon (words), Morphology (words and word parts), Syntax (sentences), and Communicative Competence (interaction)

30 million word gap

Substantial cumulative vocabulary and word-address differences linked to socioeconomic status (SES) and family interactions.

• children of high-income families may have better vocab because their parents can provide child care and social interactions. those in lower class may not have those same luxuries, creating a gap.