Language Development and linguistic diversity

• ANT2+
• Middelbare school
• vmbo b
• Leerjaar 1

Language Development and Linguistic Diversity

Chapter 7

Theorist: Noam Chomsky

How do you think children learn language?

What do you think helps a child learn language better?

Noam Chomsky's Theory

• Believed that each human was born with "language acquisition device".
  

Basically, Everyone is born with the ability to learn and understand the syntax of language.

Syntax = the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.

Left Hemisphere

Wernicke's area - contains motor neurons involved in the comprehension of speech.  (light blue) damage to this affects 

Broca's area - speech production, language comprehension, and motor-related activities associated with hand movements.

Motor cortex

What part of the left hemisphere affects comprehension of speech?

1. Broca's area
2. Motor Complex
3. Auditory Cortex
4. Wernicke area

From what you heard in the video, what is your opinion on Chomsky's theory

Vocabulary

Feral children - Children raised in isolation with no exposure to language.

Language acquisition device - Biologically able to understand the syntax of language.

mean length of utterance (MLU) - measurement to track the length of a child's utterance. 

Morphemes - The smallest unit of language that has a meaning.

Motherese - high pitch, singsong speech often used by mothers to talk to babies (Baby talk)

Over-regularization - children trying to correct themselves speaking, but messing up more.

Phonemes - The most basic sounds of a language that combine to form words.

Phonemic awareness - awareness that separate sounds are combined to make words.

Telegraphic speech - speech in which only important words are expressed.

What questions do you have or what you like to know for next class?

Feral Children

when children are discovered by age 7, they have a better chance at being able to fully learn language language than if they found later. 

Feral children are the byproduct of abusive parents who lock their children up away from the world.

Even deaf children have a better of age range to learn when introduced to sign language when they are first born.

If you ever spot a feral child, what should you do?

1. Lure him/her closer with food
2. Call the authorities
3. let it be, it survived this long.
4. Try to get close to help.

Do Not Touch

If you ever spot a feral child (wild child) in the wild, DO NOT get close. feral children can be very dangerous even though they are children.

children that were raised by animals have had to fight to eat every day to survive and may see you as a possible threat. 

Call the authorities  and remain safe.

Feral children come from abusive parents who neglect their duties.

leaving their child locked up or leaving them in the wild.

Is motherese good for children

Yes

No

Motherese

Motherese has been tested to prove that babies prefer it over regular speech. 

Babies 4-6 months prefer rhythmic high pitched sentences. this stimulates their minds and gives them the ability for more feed back which is great.

Babies will first start trying to speak with vowels such as "uuuu" or "aaaa".

after of few months they will begin adding consonants such as g and k.

English children will begin sayin wa, da, heh, and so on at about 6 months.

different language will result in children forming different sounds at this age.

Bilingual

There is no major difference between bilingual children growing up and monolingual children. 

If a child is being taught multiple languages it should be done at the same time.

What causes feral children

1. Isolation from language
2. Abusive parents
3. children not wanting to speak
4. Not having a snickers

What part of the left hemisphere affects comprehension of speech?

1. Broca's area
2. Motor Complex
3. Auditory Cortex
4. Wernicke area

What is Motherese?

What is Chomsky's theory?