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What is Language?

Language

a complex and dynamic system of conventional symbols that is used in various modes for thought and communication

Word Production

words and sentences and both expression

Language Understanding

comprehension of words

What are the characteristics of language?

1. Language is a system of symbols

2. System of language is conventional

3. Language system is dynamic

4. Language is a tool for all human communication

Morphemes

the smallest units of language that carry meaning; we combine them to create words.

(e.g. school -> school + -s, pre- + school +-s)

Language Code

the translation of one type of information into another: use of symbols

Why is language dynamic?

because of how words enter into English language

(e.g. new words like "selfie")

Why is language a cognitive tool?

helps humans to develop a "picture of the world that we use for thinking".

Higher Level Language Skills

• Reasoning

• Hypothesizing

• Memorizing

• Planning

• Problem-solving

Concept of Modularity

a cognitive science theory about how the human mind is organized within the structures of the brian

Modules

regions of the brain developed to process specific types of information

Domain Specific

information about a particular content area

• depth perception within the visual system

Domain General

carry out general task like memory and reasoning

Language Relating to Speech, Hearing, and Communication

Basic & Interrelated to Language

Speech, hearing, and communication

What is Speech?

the neuromuscular process by which humans turn language into a sound signal and transmit it through the air to a receiver

What does speech involve?

precise activation of muscles in 4 systems

4 Systems of Speech

1. Respiration (air through trachea)

2. Phonation (creating voice through vocal cords)

3. Resonation (air proceeds into oral/nasal cavities, where it resonates)

4. Articulation (combinations of speech sounds)

Phoneme

the smallest unit of sound that can signal a difference in meaning

• combine them to produce syllables and words

Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

international set of symbols that represents all of the phonemes of the worlds lanaguages.

Stages of Speech Production

Stage 1: Perceptual Event

speech production is initiated with a mental, abstract representation of the speech to be produced

Stage 2: Motor Schema

perceptual language-based representation that organizes phonemes into syllable chunks and sends to major muscle groups involved with speech production

Stage 3: Speech Output

airflow, vocal fold vibration, and oral cavity movements are all finely manipulated to carry out the motor schema and to create speech

Fundamentals of Sound

1. Creation of a sound source

2. Vibration of air particles

3. Reception by the ear

4. Comprehension by the brain

Speech Perception

how the brain processes speech and language.

• Involves processing phonemic information, such as phonemes.

Auditory Perception

how the brain processes any type of auditory information

Communication

process of sharing information among two or more persons

-Sender

-Reciever

Formulation

the process of pulling together your thoughts/ideas for sharing with another person.

Transmission

the process of conveying these ideas to another person, often by speaking, but alternatively by signing, gesturing, or writing.

Reception

the process of receiving the information from another person

Comprehension

the process of making sense of the message.

Types of Communication

Preintentional Communication

other people assume the relationship between a communicative behavior and its referent

(cat purrs or baby cries)

Intentional Communication

relationship between the communicative behavior and its referent is not arbitrary

(child points to something)

Oral Communication

combination of speaking and listening

What is the purpose of communication?

to provide and solicit information

Major Domains of Language

Form

how words, sentences, and sounds are organized and arranged to convey content

• sentence structure

• clause/phrase usage

• word prefixes/suffixes

• organization of sounds into words

Content

the meaning of language: the words used and the meaning behind them

Lexicon (vocabulary system)

selecting and organizing words to express our ideas or to understand what others are saying

Use

how people draw on language functionally to meet personal and social needs

• intentions behind utterances

• how well utterances achieve intentions

Components of Form, Content, & Use

Phonology

FORM

• the speech and sound system

Morphology

FORM

• meaningful parts of words

Semantics

CONTENT

• meanings of words and their connections

Syntax

FORM

• rules for word order

Pragmatics

USE

• social rules of language use

Acquisition Rate

how children develop their remarkable language skills

Critical Period (Sensitive Period)

language develops rapidly and with ease (birth-puberty)

Simple Reading View of Language

basic model for understanding factors in learning how to read

Word Recognition x Language Comprehension = Reading Comprehension

Reading Ability

depends on both the lower level building blocks that drive printed-word recognition, including knowledge of sounds, syllables, letters, and meaningful parts of words and the higher level aspects of language important for comprehension, including word meanings, phrases, sentences, and discourse.

Word Recognition

depends on recognition of alphabetic symbols that correspond to speech sounds

• visual process of words

Language Comprehension

• second major component of SVR

• what readers would understand if a text were read aloud to them

• interpretation of words, phrases, sentences, and connected text

• active process in which idea (mental model) of the information in the text is constructed

• integrating ideas from one sentence to another

What are the reader subtypes?

What is the nature of language?

1. Unique

2. Change is constant

3. English is special because its used world wide

4. Made up of systems