Chapter 9 - Language + Thought

Language

contains, shapes our thoughts and what we see

a system for communication based on a set of symbols (socially constructed) and a set of rules (grammar) for putting them together

Grammar

A set of rules that specify how the units of language can be combined to produce meaningful messages

Morphemes

The smallest meaningful units of language

Phonemes

The smallest units of speech that distinguish one word from another

85 basic sounds across all language (ba, ca, etc.)

Telegraphic speech

Speech that is devoid of function morphemes and grammar and consist mostly of content words

Typically around stage 2

Ex. “throw ball”; “more milk”

Stage 1 of Language Acquisition: Babbling Stage (1-12 months)

-making coos

-using tongues to make babbles (phonemes)

Stage 2 of Language Acquisition: One Word Stage (12-21 months)

-discovery of symbols, where production lags comprehension

-starting to make meaning of words

Stage 3 of Language Acquisition: Two Word Stage

Discovery that words can be combined by following syntax and grammar

Overapplication of grammar rules, which shows that they’re learning

Stage 4 of Language Acquisition: All Heck Breaks Loose Stage (3 years)

Combinatorial explosion

Words are symbols; grammar tells you how to combine terms

Parsing Problem

Difficulty to figure out where words start and stop

Infant will do statistical analysis of most regular occurring phonemes

Novelty of phonemes appeals to babies (usually ca ba, then they hear ba ca)

Synaptic Rules

Indicate how words can be combined to form phrases and sentences

Morphological Rules

Indicate how morphemes can be combined to form words

Phonological Rules

Indicate how phonemes can be combined to form words

Ex. ts in German language but not in English

Content Morphemes

refer to things and events (cat, dog, take)

Function morphemes

grammatical functions, like tying sentences together (and, or, but)

Behaviorists + Language Development

We learn to talk in the same way we learn any other skill

Reinforcement, instruction, mimicry, shaping, extinction, and other basic principles of operant conditioning

EXPOSURE is most important

Nativists + Language Development

Language development is best explained as an innate, biological capacity

The human brain is equipped with universal grammar, so language naturally emerges

Benefits of Bilingualism

Bilingualists reason better in their second language

They benefit from exerting executive control in their daily lives when they attempt to suppress the language they don’t want to use

Build up a greater amount of cognitive ability/reserve

Denser gray area matter, especially for those more experienced in their languages

Broca’s Area

Left frontal cortex

Involved in production of sequential patters in vocal and sign languages; speech production + articulation

Broca’s Aphasia: understand language; broken sentences, difficulty in more complex speech

Wernicke’s Area

Left temporal cortex

Involved in language comprehension (spoken or signed)

Wernicke’s Aphasia: production of grammatical but meaningless speech; can’t comprehend language

Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis

The idea that language shapes the nature of thought

Ex. discriminating color categories, etc.

Critical Period 1

Left Hemisphere Activation

2nd Language Acquisition

1-3 yrs old

Critical Period 2

Both Hemispheres

2nd Language Acquisition

11-13 yrs old

Language + Thought Processing

Having more names for color distinctions don’t confuse colors as often