module 1 (finals) Flashcards
(58 cards)
Early cooing and babbling (0–6 months).
Pre-linguistic Stage
Vocalization becomes more varied and reflects the sounds of the native language (6–9 months).
Babbling Stage
The first recognizable words are spoken (around 12 months).
First Words
Children begin to combine words into simple phrases (18–24 months).
Two-word Stage
Simple sentences begin, grammatical structures are used (24–30 months).
Early Sentence Use
Grammatical structures grow in complexity, with more advanced syntax (30–36 months).
Complex Sentences
Rapid increase in vocabulary and sentence complexity (3–5 years).
Vocabulary Growth
More advanced grammar, narrative skills, and abstract concepts (5+ years).
Refining Language Skills
Language is learned through environmental interaction
Language acquisition happens through interaction with caregivers and the environment.
Children imitate speech
Children learn by mimicking the language spoken by adults and peers, leading to word and phrase learning.
Reinforcement strengthens language use
Positive reinforcement encourages correct language use; incorrect use may be ignored or corrected.
Language development is gradual
Language skills develop gradually through imitation, reinforcement, and correction.
Language acquisition results from environmental stimuli and the learner’s responses. Repeated exposure increases the likelihood of imitation.
Stimulus-Response
Children imitate language they hear. Positive reinforcement encourages repeated correct usage; lack of reinforcement discourages incorrect usage.
Reinforcement and Imitation
B.F. Skinner proposed that language is shaped through operant conditioning—positive behavior is reinforced, and incorrect usage is corrected.
Operant Conditioning (B.F. Skinner)
Children are gradually reinforced for increasingly accurate speech, moving from approximations to correct forms (e.g., ‘ba-ba’ to ‘bottle’).
Shaping
Children become accustomed to repeated stimuli, allowing them to focus on meaningful patterns in language, like syntax and meaning.
Habituation
Language acquisition happens through interaction with caregivers and the environment.
Language is learned through environmental interaction
Children learn by mimicking the language spoken by adults and peers, leading to word and phrase learning.
Children imitate speech
Positive reinforcement encourages correct language use; incorrect use may be ignored or corrected.
Reinforcement strengthens language use
Language skills develop gradually through imitation, reinforcement, and correction.
Language development is gradual
Chomsky’s idea that all humans are born with an innate set of grammatical principles shared across all languages. This ‘mental blueprint’ helps guide language learning.
Universal Grammar (UG)
A hypothetical inborn mechanism proposed by Chomsky that allows children to naturally acquire language by inferring rules from the speech they hear.
Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
The idea that there is a biological window (birth to puberty) during which language acquisition happens most easily. After this period, learning a language becomes harder.
Critical Period Hypothesis (CPH)
