Thinking and Language

1. Thinking and Language

2. Language • Language: the expression of ideas through symbols (spoken/written/etc.) that are arranged according to rules • Three building blocks • Phonemes: the smallest basic sound units

3. Language • Morphemes: smallest unit of meaning • Can be a letter (a), word (cat), prefix (un-), or suffix (-ly) • Grammar: the rules of a given language. • Semantic: the rules used to find meaning in a word/sentence/etc. • Ex. Semantics allows you to understand both of the following sentences: “A mind is a terrible thing to waste. Do you mind if I sit next to you?” • Syntax: the rules for putting together words into sentences in a given language. • A “white house” becomes un “casa blanca”

4. Language Development • Babbling begins around 4 months. • By 10 months, babies’ babbling sound more closely reflects the language of the home. • The one-word stage begins around age 1. • May only be one word, but they use inflection to suggest further meaning. • The two-word stage begins around age 2. • Children tend to overgeneralize grammar rules (use them in incorrect ways) • Ex. “Daddy goed to the store”

5. Language (Nature/Nurture) • The major question (for a while) became whether or not there was a critical period for acquiring language • Learning a second language is much more difficult after the critical period of early childhood • Becoming deaf/gaining hearing (ala a cochlear implant) after about 5-6 makes learning the new language much more difficult • If we were more serious (as a society) about learning Spanish, French, etc., we’d push it in elementary school