3.5-Communication and Language Development

Language

Spoken, written, or signed words. The ways we combine them to communicate meaning

Phonemes

Smallest distinctive sound unit (th, a, t)

Morphemes

Smallest meaningful unit of language

Semantics

System of using words to create meaning

Grammar

Language’s set of rules that enable people to communicate

Syntax

Rules for word order

Universal Grammar

People are born with a built-in predisposition to learn grammar

Cooing

Infants make soft, vowel like sounds

Babbling

Utters various sounds that are not related to household language

One-word stage

A child speaks mostly in 1 word sentences

Two-word sound

A child speaks mostly in 2 word sentences

Telegraphic speech

A child speaks like a telegram using nouns + verbs

Over generalization

Using rules of grammar incorrectly (I fallded yesterday)

Linguistic Determinism

Language determines the way we think (Thinking abt things we have no words for)

Linguistic relativity

Language influences the way we think