Do Now Do you think children should be taught multiple languages? Why or why not?
Unit 7B Cognition- Thinking, Problem Solving, Creativity, & Language
Language Structure Language cab be spoken, written, or signed 3 building blocks for spoken language Phonemes: smallest distinct sound unit EX: b, a, t Morphemes: smallest unit that carries meaning EX: s = multiple, ed = in the past, pre= before Grammar: rules that allow us to communicate Semantics: rules for using morphemes EX: add ed to the end to mean happened in the past Syntax: rules for combining words & making sentences EX: adjectives come before nouns (pretty girl)
Language Acquisition Receptive Language- children begin learning language by just listening and taking in sounds, mouth movement etc. Productive Language- children begin to produce aspects of language Babbling Stage: random sounds (4 months) 1 Word Stage: child speaks in 1 words Doggy = look at the doggy 2 Word Stage: child speaks in 2 words (Telegraphic speech) Want juice
Language Development Skinner – learning-theory approach Chomsky Learn to talk through operant conditioning – children learn to speak by being rewarded for making sounds that approximate speech with language ultimately sounding more and more like adult speech Chomsky Believes that humans are born with an innate linguistic capability Supports this idea with the idea that languages have a universal grammar (similar underlying structure of all world languages) And believes in the presence of a language acquisition device (a neural system of the brain for understanding language) that is “switched on” by exposure to language in our environment
Language & Thinking Benjamin Whorf linguistic determinism hypothesis – language shapes the way we think and perceive the world Yet we also think without using language at all (mental images/cognitive maps)…so most psychologists believe that it is probably our thoughts that influence our language
Today Quiz on Qs #8-11 Questions about FRQ Review Crossword for 7B HW= study for Exam tomorrow