lanuage week 7

Language Definition

  • Definition: A system of symbols that follows social rules.
  • Example: When encountering the word 'door', one does not merely see letters; instead, a mental image or concept of a door is visualized.

Functions of Language

  • Communication: Facilitates the transfer and sharing of information between individuals.
  • Facilitates Thought: Aids in cognitive processes and organizing thoughts.
  • Ease of Establishing & Maintaining Relationships: Strengthens social bonds and connections.

Linguistics

  • Definition: The study of language, focusing on structures and components.
    • Linguists' Interests:
    • Structures of language such as:
      • Subject
      • Predicate
      • Example: "Our business offers discount rates."

Psycholinguistics

  • Definition: The study that integrates psychology and linguistics.
  • Psycholinguists' Interests:
    • Study of the development of symbols and language.
    • Interactions between language and thought.
    • Social use of language.

Areas of Linguistics

  • Pragmatics: Study of language in use and the contexts in which it is used.
  • Semantics: Study of meaning in language.
  • Syntax: Rules that govern the structure of sentences.
  • Morphology: Study of the structure of words.
  • Phonology: Study of sound systems within language.
  • Phonetics: Study of the physical sounds of human speech.

How Children Acquire Syntax

  • Definition of Syntax: The rules that specify the order for combining words to form phrases and sentences.
    • Example 1: "The kite flew Sammy" adheres to English syntax rules due to the presence of a subject and predicate.
    • Example 2: "Flew the Sammy kite" violates syntax rules as it lacks a recognized subject.

Semantics in Children

  • Definition of Semantics: Refers to the meaning of a message, influenced by factors such as:
    • Words
    • Tone of voice
    • Context
    • Non-verbal signals.
  • Example: "The kite flew Sammy" is semantically incorrect despite its syntactical accuracy due to lack of coherent meaning.

Theories of Language Acquisition

  • Two Popular Accounts:

    1. Imitation Account:
    • Proposed by B.F. Skinner.
    • Suggests that children acquire syntax through operant conditioning.
      • Children receive reinforcement for using grammar correctly and are punished (e.g., through being misunderstood) for incorrect syntax.
    1. Nativist Account:
    • Proposed by Noam Chomsky.
    • Argues that rules for acquiring syntax are innate; humans are born with an inherent ability to recognize and focus on grammatical structures in spoken language.
    • Terminology: Called this ability the LAD (Language Acquisition Device).

Support for Nativist Account

  1. Timing of Language Acquisition: Chomsky posits that if syntax were learned solely through operant conditioning, it would take too long to acquire language. Observations show that children worldwide typically start speaking at the same age—-between 18-24 months—-regardless of the language's complexity.
  2. Telegraphic Speech: Children initially use simplistic, two or three-word constructions that omit non-critical words (such as prepositions, articles, and adjectives), despite adults’ expectations for more complex sentences. This phenomenon indicates that children possess innate grammatical rules that inform their speech patterns, contrary to adults' direct teaching styles.