Introduction to Linguistics and Language Review

Flashcards covering basic linguistics concepts, language characteristics, theoretical views, functions, acquisition theories, brain structure, aphasia types, macro skills, and core linguistic distinctions.

How do Bloch & Trager define language?

Language is a system of arbitrary vocal symbols used by a social group to cooperate.

What are the five main levels of language structure and use?

Phonetics/Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, and Pragmatics.

What main question does the study of syntax address?

How are words arranged?

What level of language focuses on meaning in context?

Pragmatics.

What characteristic of language refers to meaningless sounds combining to create meaningful units?

Duality of Patterning.

What characteristic of language allows humans to generate an unlimited number of new sentences never heard before?

Productivity.

What characteristic of language allows speakers to talk about things that are not present, such as the future or dinosaurs?

Displacement.

According to language origin theories, which theory suggests language originated from tongue and mouth movements imitating gestures?

Tata Theory.

Which origin theory proposes that language began with work chants?

Yo-He-Ho Theory.

Which theoretical view on language is associated with Noam Chomsky and emphasizes Universal Grammar (UG) and the Language Acquisition Device (LAD)?

Transformationalism / Nativism.

Which view on language is associated with Halliday and focuses on communication and social context?

Functionalism.

In basic language functions, what is the purpose of a performative function, such as saying "I accept"?

To perform an action.

In Jakobson's six functions of language, which function focuses on contact, such as asking "Can you hear me?"

Phatic function.

In Jakobson's model, which function focuses on the language code itself, such as asking "What does this word mean?"

Metalingual function.

According to Halliday's micro functions, what are the four Pragmatic functions?

Instrumental, Regulatory, Interactional, and Personal.

According to Halliday's micro functions, what are the three Mathematic functions?

Heuristic, Imaginative, and Representational.

What major school of language acquisition is associated with B.F. Skinner and views language as habit formation through Stimulus, Response, and Reinforcement?

Behaviorism.

What concept in Chomsky's Nativist theory explains that children produce language beyond the limited input they receive?

Poverty of the Stimulus.

What key concepts are associated with Interactionism in language acquisition?

Social interaction, Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), Scaffolding, and Negotiation of meaning.

What expression represents Stephen Krashen's Input Hypothesis?

$$i + 1$$

According to Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis, how does low anxiety affect language acquisition?

Low anxiety results in a lower affective filter, leading to better language acquisition.

What brain structure connects the two cerebral hemispheres?

Corpus callosum.

What is the distinction between brain localization and lateralization?

Localization asks where in the brain a function occurs, while lateralization asks which hemisphere tends to specialize in particular functions.

In typical brain lateralization, which hemisphere specializes in prosody, spatial ability, music, and contextual/pragmatic aspects?

Right hemisphere.

What is the difference between holophrastic speech and telegraphic speech in child language development?

Holophrastic speech uses one word to represent a whole idea, whereas telegraphic speech uses key words with function words often omitted.

What is neuroplasticity?

The brain's ability to change, reorganize, and create new neural connections.

What are the key differences between Broca's Aphasia and Wernicke's Aphasia regarding speech fluency and location?

Broca's Aphasia features non-fluent speech ("broken speech") and is located in the left frontal lobe, while Wernicke's Aphasia features fluent speech ("word salad") and is located in the left temporal lobe.

What type of aphasia is characterized by non-fluent speech with preserved repetition ability?

Transcortical Motor Aphasia.

How does the module distinguish dysgraphia from agraphia?

Dysgraphia is a developmental difficulty with writing, whereas agraphia is an acquired loss of writing ability due to brain damage.

Who proposed the Critical Period Hypothesis for language acquisition?

Eric Lenneberg.

What are the six macro language skills categorized by receptive and productive skills?

Receptive (Input): Listening, Reading, Viewing; Productive (Output): Speaking, Writing, Representing.

What are the four components of Dell Hymes's Communicative Competence?

Linguistic Competence, Sociolinguistic Competence, Discourse Competence, and Strategic Competence.

What is the primary difference between a descriptive and a prescriptive approach to linguistics?

Descriptive linguistics describes how people actually use language, while prescriptive linguistics dictates how people should use language.

In Saussure's linguistic framework, what is the difference between Langue and Parole?

Langue is the shared linguistic system, whereas Parole is individual actual use.

What is the difference between syntagmatic and paradigmatic relationships in linguistics?

Syntagmatic refers to relationships between words in sequence, while paradigmatic refers to possible choices or substitutions.