Basics of Communication
What is language?
What is a complex and dynamic system of conventional symbols that is used in various modes for thought and communication
What location is specialized for language processing?
Left temporal area
What is the LAD of the Generative Grammar Theory
Universal device that needs to be tuned to the specific language that the child is hearing
Define habituation and the importance
Being unresponsive to a stimulus due to repeated exposure.
Important as it allows infants to pay attention to new stimuli in the environment without getting distracted from old stimuli
What are the two ways vocabulary words are organized in the brain?
Phonetically and semantically
What is dialect?
A language-rule system spoken by an identifiable group of people that varies from the ideal language standard
What are the four steps of information processing?
What are 3 pieces of behavioral evidence for a critical period for language acqusition?
1. Feral children
2. Acquisition of ASL
3. Second language learning of a spoken language
8 to 9 months
When does the vocabulary spurt occur?
18 months
The remarkable features of language
(HINT: there are 5)
1. acquisition rate
2. universality
3. species specific
4. semanticity
5. productivity
Explain working memory
Categorize the theories of language development
Language is innate - nativist theory and generative grammar theory
Language is emergent - behaviorist theory and information processing theory
Nature and nurture - social interactionist theory and cognitive theory
Name and explain the two types of communicative intent.
1. Imperative - get someone to do something for me
2. Declarative - make someone may attention to the same thing as me
What are the factors that affect the order of acquisition for phonemes?
1. Production constraints
2. Perception constraints
3. Phoneme frequency in the lexicon
Define speech, communication, and hearing
Speech: voluntary neuromuscular process
Communication: process of sharing information among 2+ people, usually differentiated as the sender (speaker) and the receivers (listeners)
Hearing: perception of sound
What processes are right hemisphere dominant vs left hemisphere dominant?
Right: visuo-spatial processing, reading and language in terms of speech prosody, semantics and environment sounds
Left: specialized for language in all modalities, linear order perception, arithmetic calculations, logistical reasoning
What is the poverty trifecta and how does it influence language development?
Low SES, poverty, and toxic stress
The three together influence how much language input the child is getting. Lack of exposure and stress and poverty influence the development of the brain and the ability to process language.
What 3 aspects of non-verbal communication are important to the development of communication?
1. Eye gaze
2. Joint attention
3. Theory of mind
Reduplicated babbling: stage 4 (7-10 mos), series of speech-like CV syllables, babbling is associated with manipulating objects
Variegated babbling: stage 5 (11-14 mos), more differentiation in the babbling, used in repetitive rituals and sounds
Compare: baby is starting to get things done in the environment around them
Explain the language domains (what falls under each category and what each aspect is)
Form: Syntax: rules that govern the form or structure of a sentence; Morphology: internal organization of words; Phonology: sequencing of sounds and the shape of syllables.
Content: Semantics: rules of language governing the meaning of words and word combinations
Use: Pragmatics: rules governing language for social purposes
Explain the neurological pathway of language production
Message organized in Wernicke's area and then sent to Broca's area via the arcuate fasciculus. Signals are sent to parts of the motor cortex that activate the muscles needed for speech.
Compare and contrast the less is more and speech is special explanations of a language critical period
Less is more - Language learning increases with age due to stronger cognitive abilities. Kids have less memory span and processing capacity compared to adults. This leads children to be better at learning small units of language.
Speech is special - Everyone is born with innate language (the LAD) which deteriorates with age. The LAD is not as reliable for those who learn language later.
What are the ages of mutual gaze, first pointing, appropriate pointing, social smile, cooing, and gestures?
mutual gaze: 4 - 6 weeks
first pointing: 8 - 10 months
appropriate pointing: 9 - 12 months
social smile: 3 weeks
cooing: 2 months
gestures: 8 months
What are two of the four of the explanations for a vocabulary spurt (and explain them)?
1. Cognitive explanation - developments in cognition around this time allow for more vocabulary to be learned
2. Pragmatic explanation - children learn words for social interactions
3. Linguistic explanation - 50 words is what the child needs to get started
4. There isn't a discontinuity in development - there is no fundamental change in the way children learn language