Module 28:Language and Thought

Language

Are spoken, written, or signed words in the way we combine them to communicate meaning

Phoneme

The small distinctive sound unit – th, a, and t

Morpheme

The smallest unit that carries meaning; may be a word or part of a word - a

Grammar

A language instead of rules that enables people to communicate

syntax

The correct way to string words together to form sentences for a given language

Babbling stage

The stage and speech development, four months, during which an infant spontaneously utters various sounds that are not words

One-word stage

The stage in speech development, from about age one to two during which a child speaks mostly in single words

Two words stage

The stage and speech development beginning about age 2, during which a child speaks mostly in two words sentences

Telegraphic speech

Aphasia

Impairment of language, usually caused by left hemisphere damage to either the brocas area (impairing hearing) or to Wernickes area (Impairing understanding)

Broca’s area

A frontal lobe area and left hemisphere that helps control speech

Wernickes area

A brain area usually in left temporal lobe involved in language, comprehension, and expression

Linguistic determinism

Whorfs hypothesis that language determines the way we think

Linguistic relativism

The idea that language influences the way we think