Language Acquisition

PSYC2007

Pre-linguistic phase

• starts before birth + can process sounds in womb

Phrenology

• system of sounds

Semantics

• word meaning + in combination

Grammar

• structure of language + how put together

Pragmatics

• social rules for language

Development of speech - 1 month

• coo, making sounds, vocalisations, proto-conversation

Development of speech - 4-6 months

• babbling

  • e.g mamama, bababa

• vocal play

Example of 4-6 month speech

• mamama

• bababa

Development of speech - 6-10 months

• canonical babbling

• sounds heard most in environment

Development of speech - 12 months

• say first word (meaning attached to it)

  • e.g mama or dada

Example of 12 month speech

• mama

• dada

Development of speech - 2 yrs

• combine words to convey richer meaning

  • e.g daddy gone

Example of 2 yrs speech

• daddy gone

Development of speech - 3 yrs

• include multiple words to make meaning clearer + start to ask questions

  • e.g where’s daddy gone

Example of 3 yrs speech

• where’s daddy gone

Development of speech - 4 yrs

• sentences become complex, questions, sentences have structure + standardised principle

Development of speech - 5 yrs

• using complete grammatically correct sentences

  • e.g why does daddy need to go to work

Example of 5 yrs speech

• why does daddy need to go to work

Proto-conversations

• mother vocalise after infant

  • stimulate turn taking + develop pragmatics

Proto-imperative for objects (12 months)

• object request

Proto-declarative for objects (12-14 months)

• object comments for attention or sharing

Occurrence of first word

• 10-15 months

Examples of first words

• da

• oof

• nene

What occurs in the early stage of word production?

• condense meaning

  • e.g “want milk”, “spilled milk”

• holophrase period (12-18 months)

  • use whole word to represent whole idea

    • e.g “ba” for “I want the ball”

  • as have limited lexicon so overextend

• overextension

  • e.g “doggy” for all animals

What is overextension?

• one word applied in inappropriate broader context

Age of vocabulary spurt

• 16-24 months

Lengths of words with age

• 2-3 words at 2 yrs

• 3-4 words → grammar

First sentences 18-24 months

• combing two words to infer meaning

  • e.g “bring milk”

• engage in telegraphic speech

  • e.g “Ben shoe”

Telegraphic speech

• short + simple speech that is effective to infer meaning

• missing grammatical markers

  • e.g “Ben shoe” = “that is Ben’s shoe”

Example of telegraphic speech

• “Ben shoe” = “that is Ben’s shoe”

  • (no grammar)

Development of Grammar

• 2-3 yrs

• inflection (“ing” or “s”)

• questions + adding negatives

• create forms they have not heard but follow current understanding

  • = overregularisation

What is overregularisation?

• mistakes when learning grammar rules

Formation of complex sentences and age

• 3-4 yrs

• conjunctions to connect ideas

• clauses embedded → longer + complex sentences

Whole object constraint

• refer to whole object

Mutually exclusive constraint

• object only has one name if see novel + familiar together

Semantic system

• learn how words relate to each other

  • (categories, opposites, hierarchies)

• learn

  • more than one word for object

  • how words relate