DOC PREVIEW
Brandeis LING 100A - Lecture on Language acquisition and development

This preview shows page 1-2 out of 6 pages.

Save
View full document
View full document
Premium Document
Do you want full access? Go Premium and unlock all 6 pages.
Access to all documents
Download any document
Ad free experience
View full document
Premium Document
Do you want full access? Go Premium and unlock all 6 pages.
Access to all documents
Download any document
Ad free experience
Premium Document
Do you want full access? Go Premium and unlock all 6 pages.
Access to all documents
Download any document
Ad free experience

Unformatted text preview:

Malamud Intro to LinguisticsLecture on Language acquisition and development1. Nature and Nurture in learning your first language1.1 Why we should be impressed by first language acquisition• It’s unlikely you have real memories of learning to talk • you did not require explicit instruction to begin talking.By age 4, children have generally mastered the full grammar of their native language, in spite of the fact that they are quite bad at most other tasksAdults past the age of about 15 are mostly incapable of duplicating this feat, in spite of the fact that they are generally quite good at other tasks• Language acquisition is different from other general learning processeso no explicit instruction. When adults try to correct children’s errors, the children don't seem to care: “other one spoon”• No negative evidence: o what sentences are in their language? - they can hear what adults say, o but they have no evidence clearly telling what sentences are not in their language. Four possible learning scenarios: first 3 – correctable by “positive evidence” alone Guessing that too much is possible – need negative evidenceBUT: kids are not getting any, really!• Possible sentences of a language are infinite, so it can't be that children simply repeat only those sentences that they actually hear. • Rather, they produce and understand novel sentences on the basis of the grammar that they construct. Chomsky’s argument from the “poverty of the stimulus”:Without any head start, the problem of correctly deducing the structure and rules of a grammar on the basis of a finite sample like the one children are exposed to is probably impossible. Rather, it seems that they must have some idea of what they are looking for from birth. 1.2 Basic Observations• a child can learn any language of the world before he/she can tie his/her shoes• language acquisition-at least some of its ingredients – is quite independent of other cognitive developments• language is extremely complex: why we have linguistics departments• no other species has communicative abilities with language-like form or functionsCONCLUSION 1There is SOMETHING in our genes.11.3 Not a true instinct• languages differ (apparently) greatlyEnglish or French or Chinese cannot be innate – they all have to be learned from exposure!Vocabulary – has to be learned from exposure - although we are biased learners (gavagai & flimmock)Grammar – principles and parametersUsage – culturally determined• whatever is hardwired, it cannot be soldered onSecond Language learningindividual variation language change in progress: historical linguistics • also need to bear in mind the overwhelming genetic similarities between humans and our closest kinyet primates don't have language - how do we account for the evolution of the innate parts of language? as a research strategy, need to minimize the presupposed innate components of language1.4 Evidence for Universal Grammar 1. Children's errors & linguistic creativity2. Stages of acquisition are universal e.g., deaf children babble, same milestones)3. Language universals; no “primitive” languages4. Creolization (e.g. Nicaraguan Sign Language) children are incapable of learning non-UG-driven pidgin, so they impose extra grammar on it2. Modularity: separate “mental organs?• Learning to speak• Learning to see• Learning motor control• Learning to reason2.1 The Critical PeriodChildren learn languages much more easily than adults. • This difference is generally attributed to the critical period: o if you don't learn a particular language as a child, you'll never learn it as easily/well• Ignoring a certain range of individual variation, experiments suggest that:o learning before the age of 7 yields perfect command;o learning between the ages of 8 and 15 yields progressively less perfect command;o learning at a greater age includes no advantage for relative youth.Case studies: in situations of extreme family dysfunction or misfortune, a child might be kept from social and linguistic interaction until a more advanced age. Language ability can be permanently impaired then.2• Chelsea – misdiagnosed as severely mentally retarded and/or emotionally disturbed. In fact she was profoundly deaf. Not exposed to language until age 31 (deafness discovered, hearing near-normal with hearing aids). Learned about 2000 words, no syntaxThe boat sits water on. The girl is cone the ice cream shopping buying the man.• Genie - isolated until the age of 13 1/2, achieved telegraphic speech (strings of words with an elementary syntax, without the full grammatical apparatus of inflection and function words).Mike paint. Applesauce buy store. Neal come happy; Neal not come sad.Genie have Momma have baby grow up. I like elephant eat peanut.• Isabelle - isolated until the age of 6 1/2, and within a year and a half had mastered complex grammar, producing sentences like the following:Why does the paste come out if one upsets the jar?Do you go to Miss Mason's school at the university?The difference in their ages is believed to be the crucial factor in their very different outcomes• The critical period resembles other aspects of maturation in humans and animals:o in ducklings: ability to identify and follow the mothero in kittens: ability to perceive visual imageso in sparrows: ability to learn the father's songsMaintaining the neural circuits that allow acquisition of these skills is costly to the organism => evolution favors losing this allocation of resources when learning has (normally) occurred.There is no species-wide need to maintain the costly flexibility throughout the lifespan. 2.3 Language, brain, and genes• Aphasia studies: specific language-related abilities have specialised parts of the brain associated with them (Broca's area, Vernicke's area)• Specific language impariment: cognition ok, language impaired• Williams syndrome: language ok, cognition impaired2.4 General learning mechanismsOther factors: the course of language acquisition corresponds well to the general rate of metabolic activity in the brain, which peaks at the age of 4 and declines through adolescence. Hard to say: does this increased activity permit language learning? Or is it caused by it? Other views: “better learning” period rather than “critical” oneProbabilities and connections• Our neurons “learn” by frequency-matching (associations)• humans are very good


View Full Document

Brandeis LING 100A - Lecture on Language acquisition and development

Download Lecture on Language acquisition and development
Our administrator received your request to download this document. We will send you the file to your email shortly.
Loading Unlocking...
Login

Join to view Lecture on Language acquisition and development and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or
We will never post anything without your permission.
Don't have an account?
Sign Up

Join to view Lecture on Language acquisition and development 2 2 and access 3M+ class-specific study document.

or

By creating an account you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use

Already a member?