Language bioprogram

Question 1

Language bioprogram hypothesis

Answer 1

Bickerton et al. suggest humans are born w innate capacity for language acquisition. Based on observations of the critical period effect.

Human babies come with a bioprogram which provids a skeletal model of language. Children use their input to turn this into the target language

Question 2

Pidgin

Answer 2

Simplified languages that developed as a means of communication between speakers of different languages (slavery)

Question 3

Creolization

Answer 3

When pidgin develops into full-fledged language; creoles

Question 4

FOXP2 gene

Answer 4

KE family in which several members exhibited language impairments, only one copy of this gene was sufficient to cause this.

Mendelian pattern of intheritance of selective language impairment led to this discovery, but its unclear if defeicits are entirely in grammar or other cognitive ability like planning sequences

Question 5

Critical period

Answer 5

Originally estimated between 0-7y
Now: large study suggested stable rate for about 17y