Language Acquisition pt1

What is Language Acquisition?

The process of acquiring the sounds, morphemes, words, and rules for combining them.

What are the two early theories of language acquisition?

1. Imitation Theory

2. Reinforcement Theory

What is Imitation Theory?

Children learn language by listening to and imitating what they hear

What is Reinforcement Theory?

Adults reinforce accurate language forms and correct inaccurate ones.

What are the limitations of Imitation Theory?

The theory cannot explain how children produce and understand completely new sentences

What are the limitations of Reinforcement Theory?

The theory cannot explain why children sometimes do not respond to corrections.

What are the four main theories of language acquisition covered in the slides?

1. Innateness Hypothesis

2. Active Construction of a Grammar Theory

3. Connectionist Theories

4. Social Interaction Theory

What is the Innateness Hypothesis?

Humans are genetically predisposed to acquire and use language

Innateness Hypothesis: linguistic universals

Basic features shared by all languages

Innateness Hypothesis: Universal Grammar

Structural characteristics shared by all languages

Innateness Hypothesis: critical period

A period of time during which a behavior must be acquired

Innateness Hypothesis: What is the critical period for language acquisition?

Birth to the onset of puberty

Innateness Hypothesis: What examples are associated with the critical period

• Neglected children

• Feral children

Innateness Hypothesis: Does a critical period exist for every aspect of language?

Not necessarily. A critical period may exist for certain aspects but not others

Innateness Hypothesis: Which language areas are associated with a critical period?

Syntax in first-language acquisition/ Phonology in second-language acquisition.

What is Active Construction of a Grammar Theory?

The ability to develop rules is innate, but the actual rules are based on the speech children hear around them.

What are Connectionist Theories?

Language is learned through exposure and practice, which create and strengthen neural connections in the brain. The more frequently we hear and use language, the stronger these connections become. The ability to recognize statistical patterns is innate

Connectionist Theories: What determines the strength of these neural connections?

Input frequency

Connectionist Theories: What innate ability is involved in Connectionist Theories?

An underlying process of determining statistical patterns.

A baby hears the word "dog" many times while seeing dogs. Over time, the brain creates stronger connections between the word "dog" and the animal, allowing the baby to recognize and eventually say the word.

Connectionist Theories

What is Social Interaction Theory?

Children acquire language through social interaction, particularly with older children and adults

Social Interaction Theory: What does Social Interaction Theory emphasize?

Social interaction and the type of language input children receive, rather than simple exposure alone

Social Interaction Theory: what must children develop?

Language rules through social interaction

Children are born with an innate ability to learn language because the brain is naturally prepared for it.

Innateness Hypothesis

Children actively create and develop their own grammar rules by experimenting with language.

Active Construction of a Grammar Theory

Children learn language through repetition and exposure, which strengthen neural connections and help them recognize patterns

Connectionist Theory

Children learn language through communicating and interacting with other people.

Social Interaction Theory

First-language acquisition: Identifying sounds

What can infants distinguish early in development?

Familiar and unfamiliar sounds

First-language acquisition: Identifying sounds

What two procedures are used to study infants' ability to distinguish sounds?

• High Amplitude Sucking

• Conditioned Head-Turn Procedure

First-language acquisition: Identifying sounds

By what age can infants distinguish between sounds and use visual cues?

By four months.

ex. /ɑ/ versus /i/. (look at the mouth)

First-language acquisition: Identifying sounds

What happens to infants' ability to perceive phonetic distinctions as they approach 12 months?

Early on, they perceive phonetic distinctions in many languages, but by 12 months, they recognize only contrasts in their native language

First-language acquisition: Identifying sounds

What cues do infants use to perceive word boundaries?

• Stress

• Statistical cues

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

What are Stark's five stages of vocal development?

1. Stage 1: Reflexive

2. Stage 2: Control of Phonation

3. Stage 3: Expansion

4. Stage 4: Canonical Babbling / Syllables

5. Stage 5: Advanced Forms

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

What is Stage 1?

Reflexive

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 1: Reflexive TIMELINE

Birth to 2 months

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 1: Reflexive CHARACTERISTICS

• Crying and fussing.

• Vegetative sounds, such as burps, coughs, and sneezes.

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

What is Stage 2?

Control of Phonation

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 2: Control of Phonation TIMELINE

1–4 months

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 2: Control of Phonation CHARACTERISTICS

• Cooing, gooing, and laughter (6 -16 weeks)

• Begins with one long vowel sound (coo).

• Back sounds combined with a vowel (goo).

• Laughter appears around 16 weeks.

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 2: Control of Phonation- Cooing, gooing, and laughter TIMELINE

6-16 weeks

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 2: Control of Phonation- When does laughter shows up?

around 16 weeks

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

What is Stage 3?

Expansion

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 3: Expansion TIMELINE

3–8 months

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 3: Expansion CHARACTERISTICS

• Series of vowel sounds.

• Growls.

• Squeals.

• Friction noises.

• Marginal babbling.

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 3: Expansion-What is marginal babbling?

Short strings of consonant-like and vowel-like sounds combined

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 3: Expansion- Which consonants are observed first during marginal babbling?

/k/ and /g/

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 3: Expansion- Which consonants appear at about 6 months?

papi…

/p/, /m/, /n/, /b/, and /d/.

papi, mami, necesitan, buenos, dulces

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

What is Stage 4?

Canonical Babbling / Syllables

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

What is Stage 4: Canonical Babbling / Syllables TIMELINE

5–10 months

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

What is Stage 4: Canonical Babbling / Syllables CHARACTERISTICS

• True syllables appear (e.g., baba).

• Syllables are consonant + vowel combinations.

• They are not usually requests for needs or wants

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

What is Stage 4: Canonical Babbling / Syllables- Is canonical babbling observed in children who are deaf?

Not typically through vocalization. However, children exposed to ASL babble with their hands

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

What is Stage 5?

Advanced Forms

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 5: Advanced Forms TIMELINE

9–18 months

First-language acquisition: Producing sounds

Stage 5: Advanced Forms CHARACTERISTICS

• Diphthongs (combination of 2 vowels)

• Complex consonant-vowel combinations.

• Different consonant + vowel combinations (e.g., “bado”)

• Jargon (wordless sentences)

First-language acquisition: Phonological acquisition

Do all children make production mistakes while acquiring speech sounds?

Yes. Regardless of language, children make production mistakes on the way to mastering speech sounds

First-language acquisition: Phonological acquisition

Are children's speech sound errors random?

No. They are systematic (rule-governed)

First-language acquisition: Phonological acquisition

Which sounds are mastered first

Sounds that differ maximally from one another (easier to distinguish from each other)

First-language acquisition: Phonological acquisition

/mɑ/ /pɑ/ are example of

sounds are mastered first (sounds that differ maximally from one another)

First-language acquisition: Phonological acquisition

/l/ and /ɹ/ are examples of

Last phonemes to be mastered

First-language acquisition: Phonological acquisition

Why are /l/ and /ɹ/ among the last phonemes mastered?

They share many properties of vowels, making them difficult to distinguish

First-language acquisition: Phonological acquisition

2 years old (phonemes)

/p/

First-language acquisition: Phonological acquisition

3 years old (phonemes)

/m/, /b/, /d/, /g/, /n/, /f/, /j/, /t/, /k/, /ŋ/, /h/, /w/

My big dog gives nice friends yellow toys; kids sing happy wishes

First-language acquisition: Phonological acquisition

4 years old (phonemes)

Silly Zebras Love Very Juicy, Shiny Cheese

/ s/, /z/, /l/, /v/, /dʒ/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/

First-language acquisition: Phonological acquisition

5 years old (phonemes)

Measure Three Roses

/ʒ/, /θ/, /ɹ/

First-language acquisition: Phonological acquisition

6 years old (phonemes)

/ð/

Them

First-language acquisition: Phonological acquisition

What happens to some CV syllables in longer words with repeating CV patterns?

Some syllables are deleted based on stress

• Banana → /næ nə/

• Granola → /o wə/

• Potato → /deɪ doʊ/

Communicates mainly through crying and begins noticing familiar voices

1 month

Starts cooing and gurgling, smiling at familiar faces, and turning toward sounds.

2–3 months

Begins laughing, making consonant sounds like "m" and "b," and copying sounds.

4–5 months

Combines vowels and consonants to make syllables like "ba," "ma," and "da."

6 months

Repeats sounds like "mamama" and "dadada," imitates gestures, and begins understanding "no."

7–9 months

Uses more varied babbling, understands familiar expressions like "bye-bye," and mama/dada gain meaning.

10–11 months

May say a few meaningful words, understand familiar words, recognize objects by name, and follow simple requests.

12 months