What is special about human language?
Generative, has a symbolic system
finite number of parts, infinite possibilities for combination and expression
Generative language
allows us to represent and communicate what’s in our head to other people, represent and communicate ideas and feelings to other
Symbolic system
Describe the case study of Nicaraguan sign language
before 1970, Nicaragua had no deaf community
when deaf children were brought together in school for the first time, were in a community
children refused to learn a sign language that they were taught and came up with their own sign language!
What is required for language?
Human brain, human community
Why is having a human brain required for language processing?
Language processing is localized in the brain, functions are largely in specific areas with localization increasing over development
Which brain hemisphere has more activity when listening to speech?
Left hemisphere has greater activity when listening to speech
Are there any other species that have been able to acquire language?
Only humans have acquired language
Is learning language species-universal?
Yes, only humans acquire language in the course of typical development other than those that have been notably isolated from others
Neural circuitry supporting language learning operates better in early development
Reflects the sensitive period of language development
For 2nd language learners, what is the sensitive period?
If children move before age 8, they are almost indistinguishable to native speakers, but goes further down from there
How does being in a human community correlate to learning?
Early language development depends on exposure to language
Newborns show preference for listening to ____ over other sounds
Newborns show preference for listening to speech over other sounds
exaggerated style of speech we use when speaking to language learners
Infant-directed speech (IDS)
What are unique about the pitch patterns of IDS?
Sweeping changes between low and high pitch, expanded acoustic distance between vowels to help learners tell the difference
expanded acoustic distance between vowels, helps learners tell the difference between vowels
hyperarticulation
What is useful about IDS?
Helps keeps babies engaged and cue that the language is being used
How is IDS visible in sign language?
Parents would do larger, slower, more exaggerated movements
The elementary units of any spoken language
Phonemes
Do sounds typically have a connotation within the words?
Typically not, sounds are mostly arbitrary except for things like Kiki Bubba effects
Across all languages there are how many phonemes?
There are 200 phonemes. However, only a subset are used in each language
Provide an example about how sounds can be ambiguous and depend on facial expressions.
People would assume someone is saying far or bar depending on the shape of the mouth
To what age can infants distinguish all 200 phonemes?
Stop hearing non-native sounds at 10-12 months old. Loss of sensitivity to non-native phonemes occurs between 6 months to a year of world learning
What is the gain of being able to have more specialized ability to recognize phonemes?
Gain a greater ability to learn words
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Baby Mind Reading 09/0127
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Emotional Development And Attachment Relationships39
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Cognitive Development23
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Play20
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Language30
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Language (2)33
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Children’s Theory Of Mind38
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Moral Development29
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Peer Relationships28
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Social Group Identity19
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Reading Questions12
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Social Hierarchy16
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Media Influences26
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Achievement Motivation28
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Risk And Resillience38
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Educational Implications33
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Missed Flashcards…42
