1. Areas of Language Development Theories of Language Development
Lecture Outline
Areas of Language Development
Theories of Language Development
Nativist
Interactionist
Language Development in Infancy/Childhood

2. Phonological Development
Acquisition of knowledge about the sound system of a language

3. Syntactic Development
Learning the rules for combining words in a language
Ex: English—many rules related to word order

4. Semantic Development
Learning the system for expressing meaning in a language
Ex: learning what words mean

5. Pragmatic Development
Acquiring knowledge about how language is used (cultural rules)
Ex: turn-taking

6. Nativist Theories (Chomsky)
Language Acquisition Device (LAD): Innate set of rules common to all languages (universal grammar)
Unique to humans

7. Evidence Consistent with Nativist Theories:
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, don’t show evidence of using syntax (rules)

8. Certain areas of the brain appear to be specialized for language
Evidence (con’t):
Certain areas of the brain appear to be specialized for language
Left hemisphere of cerebral cortex
Hemispheric specialization present in infancy—suggests that innate biological factors are involved in language development

9. Appears to be a “critical” period for language acquisition:
Evidence (con’t):
Appears to be a “critical” period for language acquisition:
Critical period: Time during which language is easily acquired and after which language acquisition is more difficult and less successful
Suggests that innate biological factors are involved

10. Evidence for “critical period”:
Brain damage more likely to result in permanent language impairment if it occurs in adulthood than in childhood

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

12. Evidence (con’t):
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

13. Criticisms of Nativist Theories:
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

14. Interactionist Theories
Children are motivated to communicate with others
Children pay attention to “clues” available when language is used
Helps them to learn language

15. Evidence Consistent with Interactionist Theories
Children use a variety of strategies to learn the meaning of new words

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

17. Whole-Object Assumption
Expectation that a novel word refers to a whole object (rather than a part or other aspect of the object)
Ex: “Cat” refers to whole cat, not its whiskers or other parts

18. Mutual Exclusivity Assumption
Expectation that a novel word applies to an unfamiliar object
Ex: “Show me the blicket”

19. Linguistic Context
Grammatical form of a novel word influences children’s interpretation of it
Ex: “sibbing” vs. “a sib” vs. “some sib”

20. 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”

21. Pragmatic Cues
Aspects of the social context that are used to infer the meaning of words
Direction of gaze
Intentionality

22. Criticisms of Interactionist Theories
The rules involved in language are too complex to be learned simply through paying attention to “clues” available in language
Especially true for syntactic development