Language Development and Linguistics Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from a lecture on language development and linguistics.

language is Symbolic

Language uses symbols (words, signs, pictures) to represent ideas, objects, or actions; these symbols are arbitrary and rule-governed.

language is Productive (Generative)

Language allows us to create an infinite number of sentences and ideas, even ones we've never heard before, by combining words in novel ways to express new meanings.

language is Not Stimulus-bound (related to Displacement)

Human language isn’t tied only to the present situation; we can talk about things that aren’t currently happening—past, future, hypothetical, or abstract concepts.

langauge is Social

Language is inherently used for communication and interaction with others, supporting relationships, conveying intentions, and building shared understanding.

langauge is Reflexive

We can use language to talk about language itself, including discussing grammar, defining words, correcting ourselves or others, and analyzing speech.

Metalinguistics

Using language to talk about language itself, including discussing grammar, defining words, correcting ourselves or others, and analyzing speech.

Phonology (Sounds of language)

The sound system of a language, including rules for combining and using phonemes.

Phoneme

The smallest unit of sound that can distinguish between morphemes or signal a change in meaning, specific to each particular language.

Morphology (Word parts (prefixes, suffixes)

The study of word formation and structure; includes morphemes (smallest meaningful units).

Morpheme

The smallest unit of meaning; can be free (stand alone) or bound (must be joined to another morpheme).

Free Morpheme

A morpheme that can stand alone.

Bound Morpheme

A morpheme that must be joined to another morpheme.

Derivational Morpheme

A bound morpheme that creates a new word using prefixes and suffixes (or 2 free morphemes to form a compound word).

Ex: Writer: 2, Write + er -----> derivational

Inflectional Morpheme

A bound morpheme that creates new forms of the same word using suffixes (also called grammatical).

Sings: 2, Sing + s-------> inflectional

Syntax (Sentence structure)

Rules governing sentence structure and word order.

Semantics (Word meanings)

The meaning of words and sentences; vocabulary knowledge and word relationships.

Pragmatics (Social rules of language)

Social rules for language use, including turn-taking, topic maintenance, and conversational norms.

Nativist (Chomsky))

The theory that language is innate (knowledge is innate).

•  humans are born with a Language Acquisition Device (LAD).

• -This idea is known as ___Universal grammar_______.

Behaviorist (skinner)

•  Language is learned through reinforcement, imitation, and conditioning.

• Baby is born as a ___blank slate___________
  

The theory that language learned through nurture.

Interactionist (Vygotsky)

The theory that language is learned through nature + nurture.

• States that **biological* and ___social*** factors must interact to learn language.

Universal Grammar

The theory that there are universal principles of language that are innate to humans and apply to all systems of human language.

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

In social interactionist theory, language develops through social interactions; importance of caregiver-child dialogue and scaffolding within the ZPD.

Child-Directed Speech (CDS)

Higher pitch, exaggerated intonation, slower rate, repetition and simplified syntax and vocabulary; use of questions and expansions to support language learning.

Mean Length of Utterance (MLU)

Formula: Total number of morphemes ÷ total number of utterances. Used to estimate syntactic development; correlates with age up to about 4 years.

pMLU (phonological Mean Length of Utterance)

give one point for each phoneme in the word (both consonant and vowels), give one additional "bonus" point for each consonant that is in the correct position (the

PCC (Percent Consonants Correct)

Formula: (Number of correct consonants ÷ Total number of intended consonants) × 100

Overextension

Applying a wider range of meaning to a word than the adult form (e.g., referencing all round objects as 'ball').

Underextension

Assigning a more limited range of meaning to a word than the adult form (e.g., 'only calls it 'ball' when it is a picture in a book').

Overgeneralization

Applying a regular rule to irregular forms (e.g., 'goed', 'foots').

Word Spurt

Typically occurs around 18–24 months when vocabulary grows rapidly (up to 10+ new words/day).

Clause

• “She runs.” (Independent clause – complete sentence)

• “Because she was late” (Dependent clause – not complete)

A group of words that has a subject and a verb (predicate).

Phrase

• A group of words that does NOT have both a subject and a verb.

• ✅ It acts as a single part of speech (like a noun, verb, or adjective).

Examples:

• “On the table” (prepositional phrase)

• “Running quickly” (verb phrase)

• “The big brown dog” (noun phrase)

Contextualized Language

Dependent on immediate physical or conversational context (e.g., “Look at that!” /“Put it there.” (while pointing at a location).

Decontextualized Language

Refers to events beyond the here and now; requires more linguistic detail (e.g., storytelling).

Mutual Exclusivity

👉 “Can you hand me the blicket?”
➡ The child will likely point to the unknown object, assuming “blicket” must be its name—because they already have a word for "cup."

The assumption that each object has only one label.

Hypothesis Testing

The process of actively testing possible meanings of new words based on context and feedback.

Fast Mapping

Quickly guessing a word’s meaning from minimal exposure.

Extended Mapping

Refining the meaning over time through repeated exposure and testing.

Relational Terms

Includes spatial (in/on), temporal (before/after), quantity (more/less), and kinship terms; marking a shift from basic vocabulary to more abstract and functional language.

MLU-w (Mean Length of Utterance in Words)

Sentence length in words: Total # of words ÷ Total # of utterances.

NDW (Number of Different Words)

Vocabulary diversity: Count each unique word once.

Extra-linguistic communication

gestures, topic maintenance, volume, tone

Egocentrism

Inability to distinguish between self and another; children's thoughts and communication are about themselves.

• Children may assume the listener knows what they know.
  -They may not provide enough context or use vague language.
  -Common in children under age 4.

Theory of Mind

Understanding that others have beliefs, desires, and knowledge different from one’s own; develops around age 4.

• Enables children to adjust their speech based on what the listener knows or feels.
  
  

Metalinguistics

The ability to think about, talk about, and manipulate language as an object itself, rather than just using it to communicate.

Phonological Awareness

The ability to hear, identify, and manipulate the sound structures of spoken language—without involving print; a predictor of early reading success.

Phonemic Awareness

The knowledge that words can be segmented into smaller parts / phonemes which can be manipulated.

Print Awareness

Understanding the forms and functions of written language (print carries meaning, is organized, and is made of letters).

Emergent Literacy

Recognizing and manipulating sounds and understanding that print carries meaning, is organized, and is made of letters.

Story Grammar Elements

Setting, initiating event, internal response, plan, attempts, direct consequence, resolution.

Gestalt Language Processing

Learning language in chunks or wholes rather than individual words; focusing on intonation patterns and memorized phrases (often scripts or echolalia).

• Examples : A child says, “Time to go night-night!” every evening but may not understand each word individually. May use scripts from shows or familiar routines (e.g., “Let’s go!” from a cartoon).

Analytic Language Processing

Learning language by breaking it into individual words and grammar rules; focusing on words, morphemes, and syntax.

• Ex: A child first says “dog,” then “big dog,” then “I see the big dog.”
  
  

Simultaneous Bilingualism

When a child is exposed to two languages from birth or very early in life (usually before age 3).

Sequential Bilingualism

When a child learns a second language after the first is already established.

Dialect

Variations in grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation within a language.

Accent

Variation in pronunciation only within a language.

Four Stages of Gestalt Language Acquisition

Stage 1: Echolalia / Gestalt Units

•  Immediate or delayed repetition of entire phrases heard from others, media, or routines.

• Examples: “Do you want to build a snowman?”“Time to go to bed!”

Four Stages of Gestalt Language Acquisition:

Stage 2: Mitigated Gestalts

• Mix & match chunks

• Slight changes to earlier scripts; combining or modifying phrases from memory.

• Key traits: The child begins to show flexibility with phrases. May mix and match known chunks.

  ex:

• Let’s go outside” → “Let’s go shopping”

•  “All done dinner” + “Go play” → “All done, go play”
  

Four Stages of Gestalt Language Acquisition:

Stage 3: Single Words and Original Combinations

Uses single words and novel phrases

• the child analyzes chunks and begins to use individual words intentionally.

  examples

• “Want cookie”

• “I go park”

Four Stages of Gestalt Language Acquisition:

Stage 4: Complex, Self-Generated Language

• The child now uses fully original sentences and understands grammar structures.

• Examples:
  - “I want to go to the zoo with my brother.”
  - “Can you help me open this?”

Story Structure Levels:*Heaps: ( 1-2 years old)

• No real organization; unrelated statements)

• Ex: “I have a dog. I like cake. My grandma has a car.”

 Story Structure Levels: *Sequences (2-3 years)

• (Events listed in order, but no causal or temporal links)

• - Begin to link statements to each other

• - no plot yet, events could be related in any order without changing meaning

• Ex: “I went to the zoo. I saw a lion. I ate a sandwich.”

   Story Structure Levels: Primitive (3-4) 

• Centered on a character or theme, with simple cause-effect

    ex:“A boy lost his toy. He cried. His mom found it.”

Story Structure Levels:  *Focused chains (4-5)

• Events are linked and show some temporal order)

• ex;“We went to the park. Then we played. Then we went home.”

   Story Structure Levels:  *true narratives (5-7) 

• - true plot with clear problem and resolution

  - emergence of international response, plan, conclusion includes resolution

• Ex: “One day a girl lost her cat. She looked all over. She found it in the garden.”

Elements Supporting Pragmatic Competence:

• Non-egocentric:    turn taking and theory of mind

• Using language with a purpose:   requesting, greeting, apologizing

• Learning linguistic routines:    hi how are you ? trick or treat !

• Extra-linguistic communication:    gestures, topic maintenance, volume, tone

• Switching :    dialects, varieties of registers based on context

- deictic terms

( here, this, these, that) words that depend on location of speaker and listener 

-Interrogatives

who, what, where, why) : Asking and understanding questions

- Temporal Terms

before, after, tomorrow) : Sequencing events, telling stories

- Locational Terms

in, on, under, next to) : Spatial awareness in descriptions

-Opposites

(hot/cold, big/small) : Understanding contrast, categorization

-   non- canonical antonyms

not what you think of at first (ex: wet and damp)

- Kinship Terms

(mom, brother, cousin) : Describing social relationships