Second language Flashcards
(40 cards)
The sound patterns of a language
phonology
The sounds of a language
phonetics
Rules of word-formation
morphology
How words combine into phrases/sentences
syntax
How to derive meaning from a sentence
semantics
How to properly use language in context
pragmatics
Lexical items
idioms, words, morphemes,
‘Innateness Hypothesis’
argues that our ability to acquire (human) language is innate (genetically encoded).
LanguageAcquisitionDevice(LAD)
is a theoretical component of the individual’s thought
Universal Grammar (UG)
set of structural characteristics shared by all languages
Economy of derivation
is a principle stating that movements (i.e., transformations) only occur in order to match interpretable features with uninterpretable features. An example of an interpretable feature is the plural inflection on regular English nouns, e.g., dogs.
Economy of representation
is the principle that grammatical structures must exist for a purpose: the structure of a sentence should be no larger or more complex than required to satisfy constraints on grammaticality.
bilingualism
Simultaneous acquisition of two languages from birth. This term is also used casually to refer to any strong proficiency in two languages, regardless of how it is attained.
Grammatical competence
knowledge of phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.
Acquisition though interaction
The belief that children acquire a language via the interaction with other people.
BABBLING
An early stage of language acquisition that infants go through from about 4 to 6 months of age.
Babbling may involve a wide range of speech sounds, though it typically consists of simple syllables (ex. ba and ma).
CONDITIONED-RESPONSE LEARNING
A theory of learning associated with the psychological theory of behaviorism, which was applied to language acquisition by B.F. Skinner (1957).
According to behaviorism, language develops from adult reinforcement and shaping of the babbling of the infant, and subsequently like other learned behavior.
INNATENESS
The idea that children are biologically predisposed to learn language, that they are born with knowledge of an abstract universal grammar that underlies the grammar of all human languages.
IMITATION
A strategy for language acquisition.
Imitation is a common means by which children (and adults) learn many things, including aspects of language.
Children actively imitate the speech of those in their social environments, sometimes at inappropriate times, to the embarassment of their parents.
ONE-WORD HOLOPHRASTIC STAGE
At around 12 to 18 months, children produce their first recognizable words.
These words occur alone, in single-unit utterances.
A one-word utterance can be given different intonation contours to express different speech acts. For example, falling intonation for a statement, rising for a question of request.
two-word stage
Around 18 months, a child begins to put two words together in order to convey meaning, e.g. ‘mummy sit’.
the main argument against the ‘imitation’ theory
Children do not suddenly produce grammatically complete Standard English sentences, instead, they build up their language gradually, refining their speech as they develop.
What is a critical period?
The age at which a child will be most receptive to learn language (suggested by Lenneburg to be up to the age of 5).
uniformly
uniform stages of acquisition uniform results