Chapter 9: Language Development – Flashcards
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Language
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From of communication whether spoken, written, or signed, that is based on system of symbols
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Infinite generativity
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The ability to produce an endless number if meaningful sentences using a finite set of words and rules
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Phonology
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The sound system of a language, including the sounds that are used, and how they may be combined
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Phoneme
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A basic unit of sound in a language, the smallest unit of sound that affects meaning
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Morphology
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The rule system that governs how words are formed in language
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Morpheme
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Minimal unit of meaning, it is word or part of word that cannot be broken in smaller, more meaningful parts
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Syntax
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Involves the way words are combined to form acceptable phrases and sentences
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Semantics
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Refers to the meanings of words and sentences
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Pragmatics
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The appropriate use of language in different contexts
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Telegraphic speech
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Use of short and precise words without grammatical markers such as auxiliary verbs and other connectives. Develops between 18 and 24 months
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Fast mapping
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Children's ability to make an initial connection between a word and its referent after only limited exposure to the word
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6 key principles in vocab development
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- children learn words they hear most often - learn words for things and events that interest them - learn words best in responsive and interactive environments - learn words best in contexts that are meaningful - learn words best when they access clear information about word meaning - learn words best when grammar and vocabulary are considered
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Metalinguistic awareness
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Knowledge about language, such as understanding what a preposition is
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Phonics approach
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Emphasizes that reading instruction should focus on teaching basic rules for translating written symbols into sounds
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Whole language approach
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Reading instruction should parallel children's natural language learning. Reading materials should be whole and meaningful
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Broca's area
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Left frontal lobe involved in speech production and grammatical processing
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Wernicke's area
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A region of the brains left hemisphere involved in language comprehension
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Language acquisition device
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Developed by chomsky - biological endowment that enables the child to detect certain features and the rules of language - not an actual part of the brain
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Child directed speech
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Language spoken in a higher pitch than normal with simple words and sentences
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Recasting
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Rephrasing something the child has said, turning it into a question or restating it in a fully grammatical form
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Expanding
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Restating in linguistically sophisticated form what a child has said
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Labeling
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Identifying the names of objects
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Williams syndrome
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genetic birth disorder - expressive verbal skills with extremely low IQ and limited visuopatial skills and motor control
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Aphasia
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a disorder resulting from brain damage to Broca's and Wernicke's area that involves a loss or impairment of ability to use or comprehend words
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Interactionist view
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If language acquisition depended only on biology, Genie and the Wild Boy should have talked without difficulty - a child's experiences influence language acquisition, but biology also has a strong influence
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Early childhood
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• Between 2 and 3 years of age they begin the transition from saying simple sentences that express a single proposition to saying complex sentences • By the time children are 3 years old, they can produce all the vowel sounds and most consonant sounds • Gains in semantics characterize early childhood At around 4 to 5 children learn to change their speech style to suit the situation
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Middle and late childhood
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The process of categorization becomes easier as children grow older and their vocabulary expands • Advances in vocabulary and grammar during the elementary school years are accompanied by the development of metalinguistic awareness - this awareness improves considerably during the elementary school years
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Cognitive process to develop reading skills
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1. Be aware of sound units in words, which consists of recognizing phonemes 2. Decoding words, which involves converting printed words into sounds 3. Accessing word meaning, which consists of finding a mental representation of a word's meaning
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Adolescence
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• With an increase in abstract thinking, adolescents are much better than children at analyzing the function a word performs in a sentence • Adolescents learn to understand and use metaphors and satire • Young adolescents often speak a dialect with their peers that is characterized by jargon and slang
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Environmental influences
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Behaviorists opposed Chomsky's hypothesis and argues that language represents nothing more than chains of response acquired through reinforcement o Behavioral flew is flawed - does not explain how people create novel sentences if language is acquired through reinforcement o No longer considered a viable explanation of how children acquire language
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Infancy
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Before they can speak recognizable words, babies cry as a sign of distress, coo to express pleasure, and babble • Infants start using gestures at about 8-12 months, such as nodding and waving • Lack of pointing is a significant indicator of problems in the infants communication system • Long before they begin to learn words, infants can make fine distinctions among the sounds of language • Infants can understand words before they can produce or speak them - some recognize their name as early as 5 months • First words often express various intentions
