Language Development
Created by Axel Burch
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
descriptive level of explanation | what the brain can do |
algorithm level of explanation | how the brain works |
'hardware' implementation level of explanation | the physical attributes of the brain relating to how it works |
language | >a system that conveys meaning form one individual to another
>symbols used in a special, arbitrary pattern to carry specific meaning (words, gestures, pictograms) |
origins of language | >oldest written records ~5000 yrs old
>developed anatomical requirements ~150,000-200,000 yrs ago |
language and animals | >animal communication doesn't use symbols
>chimpanzee (washoe) learned >130 signs, and (chimpsky) learned 125 signs
>bonobo (kanzi) learned 150 symbols with spoken words and objects and responded correctly to 70-80% of sentences |
behaviourism | >Skinner- language explained by conditioning
>Chomsky- can't be possible due to large volume of language learned |
universal grammar | >all language shares an innate universal grammar
>children without language input create own gestural language
>critical period |
LAD | >language is modular
>don't have to learn entire grammar
>certain parameters in their LAD |
Broca's area | associated with speech production and damage causes slow, halting speech with poor articulation |
Wernicke's area | associated with language comprehension and damage causes atypical, non-meaningful speech with neologisms |
lateralisation | 90% have speech areas in left hemisphere |
structure | >phonology
>morphology
>lexicon
>syntax
>semantics
>pragmatics |
phonology | >sounds
>Phonemic restoration- missing sounds in words filled in automatically |
morphemes | >smallest unit of meaningful language
>usually consist of multiple phonemes |
lexicon | mental representation of all words and word forms (lexemes) |
syntax | >encodes relationship between concepts
>specific to each language
>deep structure generated as surface structure not always sufficient for understanding |
language development | >infants recognise and discriminate phonemes
>trimmed around 1yr of age
>several years needed to learn rules for combining them
>use hypothesis testing
>innate factors |
language knowledge | >Phonology- speech sounds of a language
>Semantics- meaning conveyed
>Syntax- grammatical rules indicating how words may combined into sentences
>Pragmatics- how language is modified to fit context |
social interaction | turn taking in feeding may help prepare for conversational turn taking |