PSYC_336_LECTURE

Features of Language

• Semanticity

  • Ability to communicate specific meanings through signals.

• Arbitrariness

  • No inherent relationship between objects in the world and the symbols used in language.

• Productivity

  • Language allows for the creation of new messages that have never been expressed before yet remain comprehensible.

• Learnability

  • Users of one language can learn to use different languages.

Describing Language

• Phonetics

  • Study of raw sounds.

• Phone

  • Specific speech sounds captured by measurable sound signals.

  • Involves the vocal tract, tongue, and mouth.

• Phonology

  • The study of how sounds are used within the context of a particular language.

• Phonemes

  • Basic units of phonology capable of distinguishing words in a language.

  • Example: English has 44 phonemes.

  • Contrast: /r/ and /l/ in English are distinct phonemes, but Japanese maps these sounds into a single phoneme.

Phonetics vs. Phonology

• Phonetics

  • Focuses on the acoustic details of sounds and their articulation.

  • Involves photographing and measuring sound production.

• Phonology

  • Involves categorization of sounds into phoneme classes, allowing for the division of possible sounds in a language.

  • Ex. voicing and aspiration differences.

Understanding Phonemes and Allophones

• Phonemes

  • Can be represented by one or more phones.

  • Allophones are different realizations of the same phoneme (e.g., [s] in "ducks" vs. [z] in "dogs").

• A phone can correspond to multiple phonemes within a language (e.g., [z] for /z/ in "zebra" vs. [s] in "dogs").

Noam Chomsky's Contributions

• Focus on:

  • Language acquisition in children.

  • Structural aspects of language, particularly syntax.

• Phrase Structure Rules

  • Define how words combine into sentences.

• Sentence Structures

  • Sentences may convey similar meanings but can be organized in varied syntactical forms, leading to differences in meaning (e.g., positive vs passive tone).

Brain Activity and Language Processing

• Investigating brain activity through blood flow to measure neuron activity.

• Primary Brain Signals

  • Blood flow indicates levels of brain activity.

  • Brain activity is linked with oxygen distribution.

Brain Study Techniques

• EEG/ERP

  • Electrodes placed on the scalp measure electrical voltage changes due to neurotransmitter release.

  • Low spatial resolution but non-invasive direct measurements.

• MEG

  • Measures magnetic fields generated by electrical currents in the brain.

  • Good temporal resolution but expensive.

• fMRI

  • Measures brain activity by detecting blood oxygenation.

  • Strong spatial resolution, but slower response time.

Language and the Brain

• Left Hemisphere Dominance

  • Generally more associated with language functions than the right hemisphere.

• The left hemisphere is often dominant in language processing for both right-handed and left-handed individuals.

• Aphasia

  • Language deficits caused by brain damage, particularly affecting Broca's (expressive) and Wernicke's (comprehensive) areas.

Dual Stream Model of Language Processing

• Language processing involves two streams:

  • Dorsal (blue): responsible for speech production and syntax.

  • Ventral (pink): related to language comprehension and semantics.

Cognitive Aspects of Bilingualism

• Bilingual Cognitive Advantages

  • Bilinguals show quicker reactions in attention network tests compared to monolinguals.

• Code Switching

  • Bilinguals often mix languages in speech contexts, indicating flexibility in language use.

Language Acquisition Theories

• Nativist Perspective (Chomsky's LAD)

  • Suggests an innate language capability in humans distinct from other species.

  • Development involves the setting of language parameters based on environmental interaction.

• Empiricist Views

  • Propose that language acquisition is a learning process reliant on cognitive abilities, using statistical learning mechanisms.

Vocabulary Development

• Fast Mapping

  • The ability of young children to quickly connect new words with their meanings.

• Constraints on Word Learning

  • Whole-object assumption and mutual exclusivity are cognitive biases that guide vocabulary acquisition.

• Taxonomic and Thematic Relations

  • Children initially show preferences based on shared features, later integrating relationships among nouns based on contextual usage.