language part 1

What is language

Language

the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way (grammar)

Communication

body language- posture, head motion, facial expression, eye contact, gestures, Morse code, email, etc

Sapir-Whorf hypothesis

the particular language one speaks influences the way one thinks about reality

Criticisms of Sapir-Whorf

Researchers say no - rejecting Sapir-Whorf.

"Chicken and egg" problem with the theory (whether your native language determines how you perceive the world, or if your culture and thoughts came first and simply shaped your language.)

Language Acquisition

Receptive language

Infant’s ability to understand what is said to them, or “receive” language, emerges at 4 months

Productive language

Infant’s ability to produce full words begins around 10 months.

Canonical babbling

Repetition of letters, syllables, or sounds

Telegraphic speech

two-word sentences. To build children’s language, reframe their telegraphic speech into complete sentences

Phonemes

smallest distinctive sound units in language

Morphemes

smallest language unit that carry meaning

Stages of learning a language

Stage 1- Learn sounds (phonemes. Stage 2- Learn morphemes. tage 3- Learn how to put words together (grammar).

Global citizens

0-10 months, tell differences of all the sounds of all languages around the world. they listen and absorbing statistics.

culture bound listeners

after 10 months, tell the difference of our own language from our culture. We listen but may not understand other languages.

Statistical learning

An unconscious cognitive process in which repeated patterns nervous system organizes sight, sound, touch, smell, and taste to create a usable, functional understanding of one's surroundings

Critical/sensitive period

window in early childhood when the brain is highly plastic and uniquely primed to learn specific skills like language or sensory processing

Bilingual brain

neurological system of a person who regularly uses and processes two or more languages, grey matter excel in multitasking, problem-solving, and attention-switching.

30 million word gap

debated concept that refers to the estimated difference in the number of words children from varying socioeconomic backgrounds hear by age 3

Reading impact on brain

Reading is an neurological process that forces different parts of the brain (vision, speech, and comprehension) to wire together