Child Spoken Flashcards
(50 cards)
What is Skinner’s theory called?
Behaviourist Theory
What is behaviour shaped and maintained by, according to Skinner?
Its consequences
What is operant conditioning?
Behaviour that is spontaneous but the consequences of which will affect the future.
What did Skinner claim about how children acquire language?
They imitate speech and are rewarded for it.
What is positive reinforcement?
Feedback given to encourage similar behaviour.
What is negative reinforcement?
Feedback given to prevent similar behaviour.
What are the three cases in favour of Skinner?
1) Children will imitate words they’ve heard a parent say.
2) Children usually acquire the same pronunciation as their parents.
3) Children usually acquire pragmatic features such as politeness from their parents.
What is the Wug Experiment by Jean Berko?
Children apply rules accurately to words that they have not heard or used before.
What are the six cases against Skinner?
1) All children acquire language at the same rate, regardless of parental attention.
2) The same idea can be expressed in many different ways.
3) Children often say things they’ve never heard an adult say before.
4) Children can say completely original sentences and understand an infinite number of sentences.
5) Most children go through the same stages of language acquisition, called developmental milestones.
6) Parent’s don’t usually correct grammar but are more interested in politeness and truthfulness.
What are Chomsky’s criticisms of Skinner?
The language used by adults when speaking to children is impoverished.
What is Braine’s case against Skinner?
Children often cannot be corrected.
What is McNeil in the Genesis of Language’s case against Skinner?
Children can’t be corrected until a certain development.
What is Chomsky’s theory called
Nativism
What does Chomsky believe?
Children have an innate ability to understand grammar. In our brains is a Language Acquisition Device.
What did Chomsky believe the LAD did?
Enabled children to listen to language being used and extract the rules of grammar from it.
What did Chomsky believe the LAD contained and what does it mean?
Universal Grammar, all languages shared the same deep structure.
What error supports the existence of the LAD?
Virtuous errors, as they show the child is attempting to apply the rules she has figured out.
What are the case in favour of Chomsky’s theory?
1) The rapid speed at which children acquire language.
2) The fact that all children acquire language at the same stages.
3) The fact that some grammatical features are common to all languages.
4) How children can use and understand new sentences without hearing them before.
How is Isaac Slobin in favour of Chomsky?
He claims human anatomy is specifically adapted for speech. We have evolved a vocal tract which allows for precise articulation.
How is Pinker in favour of Chomsky?
Chimpanzees can learn individual words but not grammar.
How are escaped slaves from Surinam in favour of Chomsky?
Different language groups were forced to communicate in a limited Dutch pidgin. Their children developed it into a fully sophisticated Creole.
What are the cases against Chomsky?
1) Just focus on grammar. Sentences can be grammatically correct but still semantically meaningless.
2) Ignore the role of language as a social phenomenon.
3) Suggests that acquisition of language will happen automatically.
How does Genie’s case go against Chomsky?
Between 20 months and 13 years, Genie was locked in isolation by her father.
When rescued, she was unable to speak. She was never able to speak beyond a basic level.
Her case suggests there’s a critical period where learning language gets cut off. Suggests the LAD stops working at some point.
What did Eric Lennerberg propose about being exposed to language, to do with the LAD?
There is a “critical period”, the age before which you must be exposed to language and social interaction or you will be unable to learn. He suggested up to the age of 5.
