Lecture Outline

Components of Language Development Theoretical Perspectives on Language Development

Nativist
Evidence and Criticisms

Interactionist
Evidence and Criticisms

Components of Language Development Phonological Development

Acquisition of knowledge about the sound system of a language
Phonemes: The smallest sound units that distinguish meaning
Ex: rake and lake differ by one phoneme (/r/ versus /l/)

 Syntactic Development
The learning of the syntax (grammar) of a language
Syntax: Rules in a language that specify how words from different categories (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.) can be combined

 Semantic Development
Learning the system for expressing meaning in a language, including word learning

 Pragmatic Development
Acquiring knowledge about how language is used (cultural rules)

Nativist Perspectives on Language Development

Universal Grammar: A set of highly abstract, unconscious rules that are common to all languages (Noam Chomsky)
Unique to humans

Evidence Consistent with Nativist Perspectives:

Children master language with little explicit training
Non-human primates require extensive training to master the most basic language skills Although some non-human primates may combine symbols, they do not show evidence of using syntax

Indicates that only humans can acquire language and also suggests that innate factors are involved in language development

Evidence (cont): Certain areas of the brain appear to be specialized for language
Left hemisphere of cerebral cortex
Hemispheric specialization is present in infancysuggests that innate factors are involved in language development

Evidence (cont):
Appears to be a critical period for language acquisition:
Critical period: Time during which language develops readily and after which language acquisition is much more difficult and less successful
Suggests that innate factors are involved in language development

 Evidence for critical period:

Brain damage is more likely to result in permanent language impairment if it occurs in adulthood than if it occurs in childhood

 Less hemispheric specialization occurs when a second language is learned at 4 years or older than if it is learned earlier

 Knowledge of grammar is related to the age at which individuals begin learning a second language, not the length of their exposure to the language

Individuals exposed earlier show greater knowledge as adults

Evidence Consistent with Nativist Perspectives (cont): Congenitally deaf children whose parents are not proficient in sign language:
Develop larger vocabularies (gestures) than their parents Spontaneously impose syntax (grammatical structure) when signing

Suggests that innate factors are involved in language development

Criticisms of Nativist Perspectives:

Universal grammar common to all languages has not been identified Focus on syntactic development and neglect other aspects of language development Ignore role of social environment in language development

Interactionist Perspectives on Language Development

Language development is strongly influenced by childrens motivation to communicate with others Because of this motivation, they pay attention to clues in language and the social context in which language is used
Allows them to master language

Evidence Consistent with Interactionist Perspectives: Children show sensitivity to a variety of clues in language and the social context in which language is used

 Fast Mapping:
Process of rapidly learning a new word when a familiar and unfamiliar word are contrasted
Ex: chromium and red

 Linguistic Context
Grammatical form of a novel word influences childrens interpretation of it Ex: sibbing vs. a sib vs. some sib

 Syntactic Bootstrapping
Inferring the meaning of a word based on the grammatical structure of the sentence in which it is used Ex: The duck is kradding the rabbit OR The duck and rabbit are kradding

 Pragmatic Cues
Aspects of the social context that are used to infer the meaning of words
Children use direction of gaze or other gestures to learn word meanings
Will assign a new word to the object that an adult is looking at when saying the word (even if the child cannot see the target object)

Intentionality/Emotional Reactions of the speaker

Ex: Lets find the gazzer!

Criticisms of Interactionist Theories Language is too complex to be learned only by paying attention to clues available in language and the social context in which it is used
The evidence of childrens sensitivity to clues involves mainly semantic development, not syntactic development