Communication

• Definition of Language:

  • Language is defined as our agreed-upon systems of words and meaning.
  • Forms of language include spoken, written, or signed communication.

• Key Terms in Language Studies:

  • Phoneme:
  • The smallest distinctive sound unit in a language.
  • Morpheme:
  • The smallest unit that carries meaning in a language, which can be a word or part of a word (e.g., a prefix).
  • Grammar:
  • A system of rules in a language that enables us to communicate effectively, including semantics and syntax.
    • Semantics:
    • The set of rules for deriving meaning from sounds in a language.
    • Syntax:
    • The set of rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences.
  • Universal Grammar (UG):
  • A theory proposed by Noam Chomsky suggesting that humans have an innate predisposition to understand the principles that govern grammar in all languages.

• Function of Language:

  • Language allows thoughts in one's mind to be communicated to another person's mind, facilitating understanding.
  • Language can also be communicated through visual images.

• Chomsky's Argument:

  • Chomsky argues that language is a separate cognitive function that humans are innately programmed to develop.

• Building Blocks of Spoken Languages:

  • Spoken languages require three foundational components:
  • Phonemes:
    • The smallest unit of sound in a language.
  • Morphemes:
    • The smallest units with meaning.
  • Grammar:
    • A structure that includes syntax and semantics.

Language Development Stages

• Part 2: Stages of Speech Development

  • Babbling Stage:
  • Begins around four months old.
  • Infants spontaneously utter various sounds that are related to the household language but are not recognizable as actual words.
  • One-word Stage:
  • Occurs from about age 1 to 2.
  • Children primarily speak single words.
  • Two-word Stage:
  • Begins around age 2.
  • Children communicate using mostly two-word sentences, often termed 'telegraphic speech.'
    • An example of telegraphic speech: "Go car," which conveys essential actions and objects using primarily nouns and verbs.

• Language Complexity Development:

  • Language abilities transition from simple to complex forms.
  • Babies are prepared to learn a language based on what they heard while in the womb.
  • By four months, babies develop receptive language skills and can recognize differences in sounds made around them.
  • Productive language unfolds in stages beginning with babbling, which includes sounds not directly imitating the language being heard.
  • By the age of one, most children enter the one-word stage with recognizable syllables like "ma" or "da" that label objects.
  • In the two-word stage, children often create telegraphic phrases that include a noun and a verb.

Linguistic Errors and Overgeneralization

• Overgeneralization of Grammar Rules:
  • During the language acquisition process, children may overgeneralize grammar rules, leading to mistakes such as saying "I goed to store" instead of "I went to the store."

Rapid Language Development and Environmental Influences

• Part 4: Language Development After Age 2
  • After 24 months, language development improves rapidly in both structure and vocabulary.
  • Children who are late bloomers in language development often follow the same sequence as their peers but at a faster or delayed pace.
  • There is a critical period for mastering any language, which typically occurs before age 7.
  • If children are not exposed to language during this period, they lose the ability to master any language completely.
  • Cultural and environmental factors significantly influence the language complexity that a child acquires.
  • As individuals age, learning a new language becomes more challenging due to decreased neural plasticity.
  • Early learning opportunities greatly impact the language development of hearing children as well as deaf or hard-of-hearing children when learning to sign.
  • Adults or children who learn to sign later generally do not achieve the same proficiency or fluency as those who are exposed to signing from an early age.