Lecture 1

Question 1

System of communication specific to homo sapiens

Answer 1

human language

Question 2

dynamic, free to change

definition of what? (regarding language)

Answer 2

human language is open

Question 3

may not have connection to real meaning or idea associated with it
(definition regarding language)

Answer 3

human language is symbolic

Question 4

What is difference of human language compared to all types of language?

Answer 4

human language allows users to express abstract and distant ideas
- allows for future planning

Question 5

____ tend to communicate about immediate concerns and emotions

Answer 5

animals

Question 6

smallest units of sound in language

Answer 6

phonemes

Question 7

smallest units of meaning in language

Answer 7

morphemes

Question 8

rules for arranging words and symbols in sentences or parts of sentences

Answer 8

syntax

Question 9

the rules associated with the use of language in social situations

Answer 9

pragmatics

Question 10

rudimentary language also known as prelanguage

Answer 10

protolanguage

Question 11

what/who used protolanguage

Answer 11

early species of homo

Question 12

who uses grammatical and syntactical language?

Answer 12

homo sapiens

Question 13

how old is grammatical and syntactical language?

Answer 13

150 000 to 200 000 years old

Question 14

What area of the brain has to do with speech comprehension?

Answer 14

Wernicke’s are

Question 15

what area of the brain has to do with speech production?

Answer 15

Broca’s area

Question 16

when does cooing occur and what is it? what types of sounds do babies make when they coo?

Answer 16

first 6 months of age

vowel sounds

Question 17

when does babbling occur and what is it?

Answer 17

5-6 months of age

infants experiment with complex range of phonemes

Question 18

what happens with speech at 12 months of age?

Answer 18

one-word utterances

single syllables

Question 19

What happens with speech at 18 moths of age?

Answer 19

two-word utterances

stringing together single syllables

Question 20

what happens at 2.5-3 years of age with language?

Answer 20

sentence phase

Question 21

What is the period of development where exposure to human language is necessary called?

Answer 21

the sensitivity period

Question 22

What is the danger with the sensitivity period with neglected children?

Answer 22

if the children are not exposed to human language during the sensitivity period, their language abilities may never develop

Question 23

In years, when does the sensitivity period occur

Answer 23

1 year- 12 years of age

Question 24

How does family language influence a child’s language and vocabulary?

Answer 24

yes, the greater the number of words heard in the family, the more diverse the child’s vocabulary

Question 25

What is child-directed speech?

Answer 25

speech parents or others might use that is different when communicating to childern

Question 26

what characterises child-directed speech?

Answer 26

higher-pitch simpler use of sentence changes in voice volume ect

Question 27

What does the sociocultural theory of language entail?

Answer 27

environmental influence - children imitating parents - child directed speech

Question 28

Do children learn to speak faster or slower from different classes of family?

Answer 28

they learn to speak about the same age

Question 29

What are clusters of neurons that fire when you do a task or you see another person doing that task

Answer 29

mirror neurons

Question 30

what is the Conditioning and learning theory?

Answer 30

B.F Skinner Language developed just like any other behavior - it is reinforced and shaped Progression (cooing, babbling, ect) from shaping, successive approximations, and reinforcement

Question 31

what is the Nativist Theory of lanugage?

Answer 31

We discover language rather than learn it | Language development is inborn, brain is wired for it

Question 32

what does Noam Chomsky (prof. At Harvard and MIT) | have to say about human language?

Answer 32

- Argued humans are born with a Language acquisition device (LAD) (neural and behaviour system) innate , biologically-based capacity to acquire language - Language in general, not a specific form of language Humans are "built to speak" Humans learn language comparatively easily, and at about the same age no matter what language is their native language

Question 33

What was found, using twin studies, about grammer and vocabulary ?

Answer 33

grammer is more innate while vocabulary is more environmentally learned

Question 34

What is the FOXP2 gene? what does it do?

Answer 34

- Involved with understanding and producing speech - Gene found in all mammal species however human gene is different than closest relative, chimp - Recently found in neanderthal DNA → capacity to form language? Maybe

Question 35

Is chimp learning to speak human language ever possible? why or why not?

Answer 35

Chimps don't have vocal appartatus which would allow them to speak → incapable of making the range of sounds we do

Question 36

Explain example of chimp and her son, Washoe, learning language?

Answer 36

Allen and beatrix gardner taught several chimps Range: 100-400 words Kanzi learned without formal training (present in, but didn't participate, in her mother's unsuccessful learning of language) Now knows 3000 words Slower process of learning However, only achieved rudimentary language, at most, the equivalent of human toddler

Question 37

Who said "Language creates thought as much thought creates language" ?

Answer 37

Benjamin Whorf and Edward Sapir

Question 38

What ideas lead to the The Linguistic Determinism Hypothesis?

Answer 38

Benjamin Whorf and Edward Sapir

Question 39

explain The Linguistic Determinism Hypothesis?

Answer 39

Language determine our way of thinking and perceptions of the word If there is not a word or name for an object, its impossible to think about those objects or concepts Piraha (small reclusive tribe) of the amazon Only have words for numbers up to two, nearly impossible to learn concepts like ten Can only construct independent clauses "I finish eating. I talk to you."

Question 40

Language influence the way we think, doesn't determining the way we think

Answer 40

Linguistic relativism