Language: Why is it important?:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO46ii3W07U
A system of words and rules for combining words to
communicate thoughts and feelings
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9shPo
uRWCs
Would you go in the correct door?
Components of language:
Phonemes
Basic, smallest units of sound
Individual sounds that letters make
Most languages have 30-50
English has about 40
Components of language:
Morphemes
Smallest unit of language with meaning
Can be words, prefixes, suffixes and compound words
http://educationportal.com/academy/lesson/what-islanguage.html
Grammar
Rules for the combination and use of words
Grammar = set of rules in a language
Syntax = combo of words to form phrases &
sentences
Semantics = rules that govern the meaning
of words & sentences
Proposed by Noam Chomsky in the 1960s:
Surface Structure = the order of words
in a sentence
Deep Structure = a representation of
underlying meanings in sentences
See handout 8.15 (on next slide)
Development of Language
Stages of development
Cooing
Babbling
Single word stage
Two-word stage
“telegraphic”
Year 3…complex
sentences
http://www.ted.com/talks/patricia_kuhl_th
e_linguistic_genius_of_babies
Learning Theory
Conditioning &
imitation
Focuses on the role
of modeling and
rewards
Biological Basis Theory
Chomsky’s theory of innate
language acquisition
Genetic predisposition to develop
language
Eric Lenneberg’s Critical Period
Hypothesis
States that there is a sensitive (critical)
period for language development when
learning a language is easier
Language Development
Secret of the Wild Child
Full video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmdycJQi4QA
Shorter version
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjZolHCrC8E
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