Language - Lecture notes

  1. Psycholinguistics: study of relationships between psychological processes and language
  2. Language aspects
    1. Grammar: system of rules for determining how thoughts can be expressed
    2. Four major components for language:
      1. Phonology
        1. Study of Phonemes
        2. Smallest units of sound
          1. English = 42 (other languages 15-85)
      2. Morphology
        1. System used to group phonemes; morphemes smallest sounds with meaning. 
        2. Example: words or pre suffixes
      3. Syntax: rules of how words/ phrases combine into sentences
      4. Semantics: rules governing the meanings of sentences/words
  3. Language Acquisition
    1. Development
      1. Prelinguistic: crying, cooing, babble
        1. After one year, sounds not in environment "disappear"
      2. Single word vocabulary
        1. receptive (understand)
        2. Expressive (Used)
      3. Holophrases (one word expressing complex meaning)
        1. At one year
        2. Then 2 word combinations
      4. Sentences: growing knowledge of grammar rules
        1. Telegraphic speech: leave out articles/ prepositions
            2. eg. "I go store" = "I’m going to the store"
        2. Overgeneralization or Overregularization: "I goed to the store" 
    2. Learning a Language
      1. Innate factors
        1. Psychological features
          1. Larynx, Pharynx, tongue
        2. Neurological features
          1. Left hemisphere esp. prewired for (spoken or signed) 
          2. Language.
        3. Developmental features
          1. Critical language period ("sensitive period") 18-24 months-
          2. Puberty
          3. Childhood to late teens
      2. Environmental factors
        1. Operant conditioning: rewards for behavior (Skinner)
          1. Criticism: children understand before speaking (Thus understand without reinforcement)
          2. Criticism: speak without reinforcement for proper grammar
        2. Social learning
          1. Strong desire to interact with others; express needs
          2. Research = 2/3 year olds with biggest vocabulary = Those whose parents talked the most. (Reading too)
      3. Theories of Acquisition
        1. Learning theory
          1. Reinforcement and conditioning / imitation
              1. Praise and reward for speaking ("hug for mama" etc.)
          2. Doesn’t answer why kids will improve (dad responds the same to Proper and improper grammar)
        2. Psycholinguistics theories
          1. Chomsky: innate linguistic ability
            1. All language share "universal grammar" (aka mental grammar)
            2. Human brain has a neural system: language acquisition device
              1. Permits understanding of language structure
              2. Provides techniques for learning languages
              3. Surface structure: actual wording
              4. Deep structure: underlying, unspoken meaning present in mind of listener.
              5. Transformational rules and procedures that control shifting between surface and structure
            3. Language is uniquely human
            4. Criticism = downplays environmental factors
        3. Cognitive views
          1. Focus on relationship between cognitive and language development
            1. Language is possible because of cognitive analytical abilities
            2. Children are active learners
          2. Piaget: cognitive development precedes language development
            1. Children understand concepts first
              1. Concept: symbol for objects, events, ideas with common properties