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Language Development

Language Development. Components of Language. Symbols that convey meaning with rules All spoken languages have four key components: phonology (sounds) semantics (meaning) syntax (grammar) pragmatics (social use)

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Language Development

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  1. Language Development

  2. Components of Language • Symbols that convey meaning with rules • All spoken languages have four key components: • phonology (sounds) • semantics (meaning) • syntax (grammar) • pragmatics (social use) • Emergence of these components can be traced using universal language milestones over the first two years

  3. Speech Perception • Morpheme • Smallest component of meaning (dogs=2) • Phoneme • Smallest component of sound (dogs=4) • Processing speech • Bottom Up Processing • Top Down Processing

  4. Aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

  5. This is clearly wrong. For instance, compare the following three sentences: • 1) A vheclie epxledod at a plocie cehckipont near the UN haduqertares in Bagahdd on Mnoday kilinlg the bmober and an Irqai polcie offceir • 2) Big ccunoil tax ineesacrs tihs yaer hvae seezueqd the inmcoes of mnay pneosenirs • 3) A dootcr has aimttded the magltheuansr of a tageene ceacnr pintaet who deid aetfr a hatospil durg blendur • For More Information

  6. Word Boundaries • THEREDONATEAKETTLEOFTENCHIPS. • More difficult to identify word boundaries in a foreign language • Sometimes difficult when top-down processing fails • The girl with colitis goes by • The girl with kaleidoscope eyes

  7. Conceptual Meaning • Network model • Spreading activation engages numerous factors related to the focus word or concept • Prototype approach • Graded structure

  8. Surface Structure and Deep Structure • The girl picked up a book. • The book was picked up by the girl. • A bear was seen while driving in the park.

  9. Non-verbal Communication • Paralanguage • Tone, inflection, pauses • Gestures • Emblems • Illustrators

  10. Prelinguistic Communication • Crying • Cooing • Consists of vowel sounds • Babbling • Consonant/vowel combinations • Initially, all babies babble all phonemes • By 10-12 months of age foreign phonemes are lost (babble suggests native language) • First Words • By 18 months of age the norm is only about 25 words • By age 2 the norm is 250+ words

  11. Early Use of Words • Underextension: only Spot is a doggie • Using words too narrowly: • Holophrases • One word stands for several • Overextension: Cows are doggies too • Occurs when words are used too broadly • Evidence of mental categorization • Telegraphic speech • Overregularization • Between the ages of 3 and 5 they often overregularize irregular verbs • Significance

  12. Preschool Growth in Language Skills • Age Two • 200 - 300 word vocabulary • 2 - 3 word sentences • Age Six • 2500 word productive vocabulary • 14,000 word receptive vocabulary • Mean length of utterance (MLU) has increased significantly • more complex grammar

  13. Social Aspects of Language • Listener’s background (Top-down, schema) • Cultural aspects • Talking distance • Use of gestures • Linguistic determinism

  14. Adulthood and language • Hold on to knowledge of the language gained as children • Hearing impairments can lead to difficulty • Memory impairments can lead to difficulty • Knowledge of semantics and vocabulary expand • May have more tip-of-the-tongue experiences • Overall the command of language holds up very well

  15. Vygotsky and language development • Language style illustrates development of cognition Development of Speech Social Speech Private Speech Inner Speech

  16. How Language Develops • A critical period? • Yes • Evidence related to songbirds (Konishi) • Delays in gaining speech • Lack of fluency • No • After regaining hearing, learning speech is possible • Though difficult, non-native adults can learn second language with native-like fluency

  17. Learning perspective • Learning from models and by reinforcement • Problems • Doesn’t fully explain how syntax is learned • Parents ignore many speech errors yet children learn

  18. Nativist Perspective • Language Acquisition Device • Specialized areas in the brain • Rapid acquisition • Universal aspects of early language • Genetic basis • Problems • Doesn’t really explain how language develops

  19. Interactionist • Biological based competencies and language environment combine for language development

  20. Animals and Language • Even the brightest chimps have minimal ability to use language • Kanzi is the most capable chimp to date • 72% correct on 640 verbal commands • Skeptics remain and the controversy continues

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