Chapter 7 - Child Language Acquisition Flashcards
(51 cards)
early experiments on isolating children
Psamtik I (Egyptian Pharaoh, 7th c. BC) - told the children spoke Phrygian (Herodotus, Histories)
King James V of Scotland told the kids spoke “verie guid Hebrew.”
Akbar (Mogul Emperor, India, 16th c.AD) - the kids didn’t speak at all; concluded that language was learned by example
Feral (Mawgli) children
+1725
Peter the Wild boy, discovered in Germany, lived in UK. Developed understanding of E, but could only say a few words
+1797
Victor, Aveyron, France; found at 11 alone in the wild. Never learnt to speak, learnt to understand simple speech
and read a few words (plus write one).
+1970
Genie, California; found at 13. Locked in a closet at 20 months old by father. She could understand some words (~20, including the colours, ‘Mother’ and some names, the verbs ‘walk’ and ‘go’, a few nouns like as ‘door’ or ‘bunny’. Could say only ‘Stopit’ and ‘Nomore’. Was taught how to speak. Stopped at the level of about 3-year old.
+1990
Oxana Malaya, Ukraine, with dogs until she was 8; developed fairly fluent speech
AGE: CRITICAL PERIOD
When does it start? At/before birth
When does it end?
A child has to be adequately exposed to language by 4 years to learn ANY language.
(Critical period 1)
A child has to be adequately exposed to a language by puberty age to acquire it as a native language.
(Critical period 2)
Cognitive theory
Jean Piaget (1896-1980) Language acquisition follows cognitive development. True, yet HOW does it happen?
Behaviorist approach
approach (popular until the late 1950’s)
Children learn through imitation and positive reinforcement
Doesn’t account for creative use of language
Generative approach
Noam Chomsky (since 1957) Children are born with LAD (Language Acquisition Device), a set of instructions for what a human language can look like, LAD separate from cognition or general intelligence
preliminary conclusions about CLA
1) natural consequence of human society.
2) success of first language acquisition does not depend on intelligence
3) the ability to acquire language is innate, but the specific form-meaning connections are learned by exposure
Naturalistic: diaries and observations
Parental diaries
Werner Leopold: German/Engl bilingual
Wrote 4 volumes of German/English acquisition by daughter
His wife: English +some German
Both parents were of German ancestry
Problems: 1 observer, 1 child, subjectivity, recording of ‘outstanding’ rather than everyday
Four universal stages in CLA
1.) Pre-speech. Begins before birth; child becomes accustomed to “soundscape” of language
2.) Babbling stage. random practice using organs of speech,
no specific lexical meaning expressed
3.) One-word (or holophrastic) stage. sounds with specific meanings appear (the first words)
4.) Combining stage – syntax appears
By 5 or 6 children have basic knowledge of their native language(s)
Gestures in language acquisition
Pointing Open-hand reaching Object extending (pointing while holding an object)
Use of gestures facilitates language acquisition.
Telegraphic stage
Telegraphic stage
Can be found in German, French, Italian…
English: 2-2.5 years, lasts a few months
Use of lexical catgory words only; no or few function words
ex: “Mommy ride bike” “Daddy read book”
Isolating languages have no TS
ex: Chinese
Phonological development: newborn
Is startled by a loud noise Turns head to the direction of sound Is calmed by the sound of voice Prefers mother’s voice to a stranger’s Discriminates some speech sounds
Phonological development: 1-2 months
Smile when spoken to
Phonological development: 3-7 months
Responds differently to different intonation (e.g., friendly, angry)
Phonological development: 8-12 months
Responds to name
Responds to “no”
Recognize some words
Productive ability : Newborn
Cries
Productive ability: 1-3 months
Makes cooing sounds
Laughs
Cries differently when hungry/angry/hurt
Productive ability: 4-6 months
Plays with some sounds, usually single syllables
Productive ability: 6-8 months
Babbles with duplicated sounds
Attempts to imitate some sounds
Productive ability: 8-12 months
Babbles with consonant/vowel changes
Frequent babbling consonants
p b m t d n k g s h w j
General tendencies of phonological acquisition
vowels are acquired earlier than consonants (by 3 yrs)
stops (including nasals) are acquired before other consonants
Rule-governed early phonological processes
syllable deletion, syllable simplification, substituations (stopping, fronting, gliding, denasalization), assimilations
>slide 21
Vocabulary development at 1 year
One-word (holophrastic) stage
