Language Acquisition

What is required for language development?

Having a human brain and being in a human community.

Sensitive Period

A time window in early development when the brain is particularly receptive to acquiring language.

Generativity in language

The capacity to generate an infinite number of sentences using a finite number of words.

Infant-Directed Speech (IDS)

A special way of speaking to infants that includes exaggerated pitch and slower tempo.

Nicaraguan Sign Language

A language created by deaf children in Nicaragua when they were brought together in one school.

Segmentation

The process of breaking down speech into its component words and sounds.

Holophrastic Period

The stage in language development where infants use single words to express a complete thought.

Fast Mapping

The ability of children to quickly learn a new word after hearing it only once or twice.

Phonemes

The smallest units of sound in a language.

Whole-Object Bias

The assumption that words refer to whole objects rather than parts, actions, or properties.

Shape Bias

The tendency for children to extend newly learned words to objects that are similar in shape.

Pragmatic Knowledge

Understanding how context affects language meaning and use.

Context cues

Hints provided by social context or physical environment that help determine meaning in communication.

Statistical Learning

The ability to recognize patterns in the frequency of sound combinations in speech.

Manual Babbling

The production of repetitive hand movements by native-signing infants as a precursor to sign language.

Telegraphic Speech

Early sentences that use only essential words (e.g., 'more milk!').

Perceptual Narrowing

A developmental process where infants become less sensitive to sounds they do not frequently encounter.

Community in language development

The social aspect of language acquisition, emphasizing that exposure to language occurs in interactive contexts.

Reference in language learning

The process through which learners connect words to their meanings.

McGurk Effect

A perceptual phenomenon demonstrating the interaction between hearing and vision in speech perception.