7.05 Language

Question 1

a system for combining symbols so that an infinite number of meaningful statements can be made

Answer 1

language

Question 2

two purposes of language

Answer 2

• communication with others

- representation of our own mental activities

Question 3

the system of rules governing the structure and use of language

Answer 3

grammar

Question 4

he proposed that humans have a natural ability to understand and produce language

Answer 4

Noam Chomsky

Question 5

the part of the brain that Chomsky argues is responsible for humans’ innate ability to understand and produce language; in other words, it contains a schema for language

Answer 5

language acquisition device (LAD)

Question 6

basic elements of Chomsky’s theory

Answer 6

• humans have an innate ability to understand and produce language
• this ability comes from the LAD
• the LAD is a program with a schema for human language
• children hear language, then compare it against their mental schema
• specific language (English, Korean, etc.) is learned by imitation, reinforcement, and shaping, but the patterns of grammar are hardwired
• these patters are the same across cultures

Question 7

the smallest unit of sound in language

Answer 7

phoneme

Question 8

the smallest unit of meaning in language

Answer 8

morpheme

Question 9

rules for combining words and phrases

Answer 9

syntax

Question 10

the meaning of words in a sentence

Answer 10

semantics

Question 11

the practical aspects of communicating with others, including gesturing, taking turns in a conversation, or intonation

Answer 11

pragmatics

Question 12

the study of word formation

Answer 12

morphology

Question 13

rhythm and emphasis in spoken language

Answer 13

intonation

Question 14

argued that concepts must precede the development of language; a child must have a concept or schema for an idea before truly learning the word for it

Answer 14

Jean Piaget

Question 15

a characteristic conversational pattern of preschoolers who are unable to take the perspective of others and thus make little effort to modify their speech for their listener so that remarks to each other seem unrelated

Answer 15

collective monologue

Question 16

focused entirely on oneself, as is the young child who engages in collective monologue

Answer 16

egocentric

Question 17

he believed that language helped a child to develop concepts and to control social behaviors; also, that private speech increased over time, as the demand for self-control became more pressing

Answer 17

Lev Vygotsky

Question 18

the assumption that a culture’s concepts and thought processes are shaped by its language

Answer 18

linguistic relativity hypothesis

Question 19

the idea that language and its structures limit and determine human knowledge or thought, as well as thought processes such as categorization, memory, and perception

Answer 19

linguistic determinism

Question 20

they developed the idea that concepts are universal, and they influence language development–not the other way around

Answer 20

cognitive universalism

Question 21

grammatical errors that usually start in the early stages of a child’s language development where language rules are applied too generally, rather than according to the unique situation at hand (example: she singed, rather than she sang)

Answer 21

overregularization

Question 22

three linguistic universals (there are more!)

Answer 22

• arbitrariness
• displacement
• vocal-auditory channel