language development

infants

• 1 month → can discriminate speech sounds

• 6.5 months→ can discriminate strings of syllables

• 8-10 months → lose ability to discriminate universal sounds

expansion

• first stage

• production of non-speech and speech like sounds (mostly vowels)

babbling

• second stage )6-12 months)

• strings of simple consonant/vowels

• can be reduplicative or variegated

protowords

• 3rd stage

• world-like structures but often wrong

one word stage

• 4th stage

• single word or phrase but used as a complete sentence (holophrastic)

2 word stage

• 5th stage

• 2 word sentences but still missing functional morphemes

telegraphic

multi-word without functional morphemes

infancy to toddler

• 5 months → name is first word understood

• 8 months → phrases understood and words vs nonwords

• 10 months → understand individual words

• 12 months → first productive expressive words

• 16 months → understand 100-300 words

• 18 months → produce 50 words and vocab explosion

gavagai problem

• Definition: The indeterminacy of reference and translation, meaning observation alone cannot prove which specific concept a speaker is labeling with a novel word.

• The Scenario: A linguist hears a native speaker shout "Gavagai!" when a rabbit runs past.

• The Ambiguity: While it looks like it means "rabbit," it could equally mean "lo, a rabbit," "there goes food," or "undetached rabbit parts".

whole object bias

children think of things as whole things and not parts

mutual exclusivity

children think each object only has one label

N3C

novel nameless category, unknown label must refer to a novel object

ostensive learning

learning by pointing out examples

joint attention learning

learning by here and now, matching, pointing, using child’s interests

child directed learning

slow, simplified, and exaggerated speech to teach child

over extension

when a child uses a word too generally (says dog for all 4 legged animals)

under extension

when a child uses a word to specifically (dog for only their dog)

basic principles of language development

1. development is predictable

2. milestones are similar

3. opportunity is needed

4. has phases and periods

5. individuals differ greatly