Language Developement (W6, L1) Flashcards
What is language?
A communication system that uses a limited number of symbols that can be combined to produce messages.
What are the three components involved in language acquisition?
- Phonemes (Phonological development)
- Morphemes (Semantic development)
- Syntax (Syntactic development)
Define phonemes in the context of language acquisition.
Learning the sound system of a language, e.g., Beer vs Deer.
Define morphemes in the context of language acquisition.
Learning about meaning, e.g., cat vs cats.
Define syntax in the context of language acquisition.
Learning rules for combining words, e.g., apple red vs red apple.
What is pragmatic knowledge?
Social and cultural rules, e.g., hey (informal) vs good evening (formal).
What is prosody in language?
How sounds are produced, e.g., sarcasm vs formality.
What are the two brain areas tied to language functioning?
- Wernicke’s area
- Broca’s area
What is the role of Broca’s area?
Speech ability.
What is the role of Wernicke’s area?
Speech comprehension.
What is aphasia?
A condition where damage to Broca’s area disrupts speech production but comprehension remains intact, and vice versa for Wernicke’s area.
Which hemisphere is active when listening to speech?
Left hemisphere.
Which hemisphere is active when listening to rhythm and emotional speech?
Right hemisphere.
What is the sensitive period for language acquisition?
Before 7 years old.
What is the Achilles perspective on nature in language acquisition?
Underestimates the importance of environment and doesn’t describe the how.
How does nurture influence language development?
Through imitation and reinforcement, social interaction, and child-directed speech.
What is child-directed speech?
Expansion of sentences to further a child’s knowledge.
What characterizes infant-directed speech?
Short, simple, slow, exaggerated prosody.
What is a limitation of the nurture perspective in language acquisition?
Cannot account for syntax and novelty; exposure isn’t enough without decent neurobiology.
What does the interactionist perspective entail?
Nature and nurture interacting in language learning.
What is required for language learning according to the interactionist perspective?
Development of developmental domains, e.g., motor skills, perception, cognition, memory.
