elementary psych language

  • Introduction to Language in Humans

    • Language differentiates humans from other species.

    • Crucial for human development: affects brain and cognitive growth.

  • Observing Language Deficits

    • Cognitive development deficiencies detected primarily through language skills.

    • Example: A three-year-old child not speaking complex sentences may indicate autism or cognitive issues.

    • A child may appear healthy physically without language skills, prompting further evaluation.

  • Uniqueness of Human Language

    • Humans can discuss abstract concepts (e.g., past, future) using language, unlike animals.

    • Language is an innate skill; newborns can learn any language regardless of their environment.

    • There are approximately 50,000 languages, emphasizing the universal ability to learn language.

  • Characteristics of Human Language

    • Rule-Governed: Each language has specific rules about word combinations, usage, and structure.

    • Generative: Finite symbols and rules can create an infinite number of sentences.

    • Example: Every utterance can be new and unique; individual construction of sentences allows for constant novelty.

  • Stages of Language Development

    • Development trajectory from infancy:

    • 0-2 Months (Pre-linguistic Phase): Babbling, crying, and no understanding of language.

    • 2-4 Months: Complex sounds (vowels, phonemes); babies can produce sounds of any language.

    • 6-12 Months: Begins to repeat sounds (e.g., “mama,” “papa”) and engages in jargon-like speech.

    • 9-18 Months: First actual words emerge; associations between objects and words form (e.g., “milk” refers to the substance).

      • Sensitivity to native language phonemes develops, leading to a loss of sensitivity to non-native sounds.

    • 2 Years: Simple sentences emerge (telegraphic speech) but still with grammatical errors.

      • Errors: Overextensions (e.g., calling all animals “dog”) and underextensions (only recognizing the family dog as a dog).

      • Over-regularization of verbs occurs (e.g., “I go” instead of “I went”).

    • 3 Years: Vocabulary increases drastically; ability to form complex sentences develops.

    • By Age 20: Potential vocabulary reaches 80,000-100,000 words; learning continues throughout life.

  • Language Development in Non-Verbal Children

    • Children using American Sign Language (ASL) go through similar stages. Babbling occurs in both verbal and non-verbal children.

    • Bilingual children do not experience delays in learning language; they proceed through all stages without hindrance.

  • Theories of Language Acquisition

    • Behavioral Theory (Skinner): Implies language is learned through operant conditioning and imitation.

    • Cognitive Theory (Piaget): Emphasizes understanding concepts before using language to express those concepts.

    • Nativist Theory (Chomsky): Asserts that language ability is innate and does not strictly rely on external input.

    • Interactionist Theory (Vygotsky): Combines innate ability with environmental exposure to explain language development.

  • Sensitive Periods in Language Learning

    • Sensitive periods exist for rapid language acquisition, believed to be from six months to age seven, but some debate extends this period.

    • Learning languages beyond these periods is possible but may require more effort.

    • Case Study (Jeanne): A child confined and isolated from language, shows delayed grammar acquisition despite some vocabulary ability when finally exposed to language.