Intro to Language Test #2

What is categorical perception?

• Abilities develop and allow listeners to distinguish between phoneme so they can quickly and efficiently process speech by ignoring variations that are not meaningful

• Able to hear all variations of language

What is prosodic regularities?

characteristics of speech include frequency, duration and intensity

• stress

• intonation

What is phonetic regularities?

Phonetic detail of speech include phonemes nd combinations of phonemes

What is stress?

Prominence place on certain syllables of multisyllabic words

What is intonation?

Prominence place on certain syllables but also apply to entire phrases or sentences 

What is the hierarchical structure of categories?

1. Basic = general concepts in a category; usually children’s first words 

   • Ex: Apple

2. Subordinate = Lowest level; specific concepts in a category

   • Ex: Granny Smith (kind of apple)

3. Superordinate = the most general concept in a particular category; does not typically develop until preschool 

   • Fruits

What is perceptual categorization?

• Formed based on similar appearing features: color, shape, texture, size, etc. 

  • By 3 months they can distinguish between cats and dogs

  • By 4 months they can distinguish between animals and furniture

What is conceptual categorization?

• requires infants to know what an object does 

  • Balls roll, dogs bark

  • This requires more complexity and able to organize language

what is reduplicated babbling?

• repeating C-V pairs 

  • Ma, ma, ma 

what is non reduplicated babbling?

• variegated babbling, nonrepeating C-V combination

  • Ma, ba, ga, da

what is jargon?

• Babbling containing at least two syllables and at least two consonants and vowels, as well as varied stress or intonation patterns

  • happens between 9 months - 18 months

What are true words?

• Must be said with clear intention 

• Must have recognizable pronunciation

• Must be used consistently and in different contexts

What are the different joint reference and attention phases?

1. Phase 1 = Attendance to social partners (birth to 6 months)

   • Interred in looking at people’s faces (parents)

   • React to emotional support other provide and other reactions to their actions

2. Phase 2 = Emergence and coordination of joint attention (6 months to 1 year)

   • Should be able to have have joint attention and be able to shift attention 

   • Supported joint engagement = adults may speak with an animated voice 

3. Phase 3 = Transition to language (1 year and beyond)

   • Begin to incorporate language into communication with other people 

   • Use language to represent events and objects

What is phase 1 in joint reference and attention?

Attendance to social partners (birth to 6 months)

What is phase 2 in joint reference and attention?

Emergence and coordination of joint attention

What is phase 3 in joint reference and attention?

Transition to language (1 year and beyond)

Be able to read the phonology chart

What is overextension?

Overgeneralization = children use words in an overlay general manner

What is under extension?

• Toddlers use words to refer only to a subset of possible referents 

• More common than overextensions

What is overlap?

When toddlers overextend a word in a certain circumstances and underextend in other circumstances

What are the different types of gestures?

• Referential gestures

• Deictic gestures

• Gestures use at 14 months is a predictor of vocab size at 42 months

What are referential gestures ?

• Have a precise referent and meaning that is stable across contexts

  • hand to hear for phone

What are deistic gestures ?

• Meaning depend on context (such as pointing)

• This can predict the child's vocab 

What is the MLU formula?

total number of morphemes / # of utterances (usually 50)

What is the number of bound morphemes?

• must be attached to other morphemes

• (un-, -able, dis-)

What is the number of grammatical morphemes?

• Changes the grammar of the word

  • (plural -s, possessive ‘s, past tense -ed, present progressing -ing)

When does the first morphemes emerge?

• at 18 months and 2 years

• Present processing

  • (-ing = baby eating, sleeping, eating, running)

What are discourse functions?

• Instrumental

• Regulatory

• Interactional

• Personal

• Heuristic

• Imaginative

• Informative

what are the thematic roles?

• agent

• theme

• source

• goal

• location

What is an agent ?

entity that performs the action

Molly jumped on the trampoline

What is an example of an agent?

Molly jumped on the trampoline

what is a theme?

Entity undergoing on action or movement

What is an example of theme?

I walked the dog

What is a source?

Starting point for movement

What is an example of source?

Drove from Montclair

What is a goal?

 ending point for movement

What is an example of goal?

To Bloomfield

What is location?

the place where an action occurs

What is an example of location?

We walked through the mall

What is a child’s lexicon at 18 months?

• Predominantly nouns (60%)

• About 100 words - verbs appear (18 months - 24 months)

• 10 words generally names of animals, food, and toys within their environment

What is instrumental discourse functions?

to request satisfy needs

What is regulatory discourse functions?

control others’ behavior

what is interactional discourse functions?

interact socially

what is personal discourse functions?

express feelings

What is heuristic discourse functions?

Requesting information

What is imaginative discourse functions?

telling stories to pretend

What is informative discourse functions?

provide information to others