Definitions
Define 'hyperglot'
A person who knows many languages
What age is the critical period for learning your first language
5 to 6 years
3 important factors to learning a new language
Age, context, aptitude, quantity, motivation, time spent learning, practice.
Explain generative linguistics
Focused on the non-observable levels of meaning and thought that generate observable linguistic performance.
Define L1 and L2
L1 is your first language
L2 is your second, and subsequent, language(s)
What is the effect on language development if a child learns two languages at once
They are able to learn both with the same capacity
What is a zone of proximal development
The distance between learners existing developmental state and potential developmental state.
Emphasis on learners constructing their own reality and making the information their own.
Define 'auxiliary language'
A language the learner needs for official functions such as work or politics.
Who was the researcher who discovered that infants can discriminate between word sounds as early as 6 months?
Patricia Kuhl
A difficulty regarding SLA
Language is a moving target
Explain structural linguistics
Focused on the observable and describable responses in linguistics.
Define 'library language'
A language primarily functioning as a tool for further learning through reading. Commonly needed because of a limitation in the scientific journals published in multiple languages.
At what age does it become increasingly difficult for people to learn a second language?
Our ability to learn a new language begins to decrease at around 11 to 12 years.
3 reasons people might try to learn another language
Explain social constructivism
Emphasizes social interaction and cooperative learning.
Bonus: define 'infinite generativity'
The ability to produce an endless number of meaningful sentences using a finite set of words and rules.