+1.The innateness Hypothesis2.How languages process in the brain?3.Important areas in brain for language

psycholinguistics

+

White plain brain or innate

blueprint brain?

+1. The innateness Hypothesis

Introduction :Known as the founder of ‘Transformational Generative

grammar’, Noam Chomsky’s theories were first introduced in the 1950s.

Born on Dec 7th 1928 to well educated parents, Chomsky’s interest for Grammar is justified. His love for Hebrew and its grammar came from learning it from his father William Chomsky at a very young age.

Before Chomsky , linguistic study focused mainly on performance (how people spoke). But after his arrival into the field of linguistics brain became an important aspect in language study.

+The first step of Chomsky getting into the field of language study started when he took up the concept of Plato’s problem or poverty of stimulus which means-‘when the input is so meager why is the output so large?’.

This led him to discover the concept ‘innateness hypothesis’ which says that humans are born with the ability of acquiring language. We have LAD that helps in the acquisition process.

LAD is ‘Language Acquisition Device’ situated in the left hemisphere of the brain.

+Universal Grammar- Chomsky is the founder of the opinion that every child is born with Universal grammar which helps the child to acquire the Language.

Universal grammar contains principles and parameters.

Principles are those which are common in all the languages of the world and parameters are those which differ from one language to another.

+Examples :Jack went up the hillWho went up the hill?Jack and Jill went up the hillWho went up the hill?Jack and Jill went homeJack and who went home?Jill ate strawberries and ice creamJill ate what?Jill ate strawberries and ice creamJill ate strawberries and what?

+How can one explain the

ease, rapidity and uniformity of language

acquisition in the face of impoverished data?( they do not start from

scratch )( UG helps them to extract

the rules )

+

White plain brain or innate

blueprint brain?

+

Neurolinguistics is the study of the relationship between language and brain.

2. Neurolinguistics:1. How languages process in the brain?2. Important areas in brain for language.

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GREEN

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RED

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ORANGE

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YELLOW

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BLACK

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WHITE

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PURPLE

+The human brain:

+The parts of the brain:

+The localization view:The word is heard and comprehended via Wernicke’s area. This signal is then transferred via the arcuate fasciculus to Broca’s area where preparations are made to produce it. A signal then is sent to part of the motor cortex to physically articulate the word.

+ Speech Errors:1. The tips of the

tongue( you know the word )

2. Slips of the tongueblack bloxes

make a long shory stora tup of teabeel fetter

* slip of the brain as it tries to organize linguistic messages

+

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D33ccVnbHY

+Aphasia:

An impairment of language function due

to localized brain damage that leads to

difficulty in understanding and/or producing linguistic

forms

+

1. Broca’s aphasia:Production I eggs and eat and drink coffee breakfast http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=f2IiMEbMnPM

2. Wernicke's aphasia:Comprehension I can’t talk all of the things I do http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKTdMV6cOZw

+References:

Chapter 13 ( the study of language )

Chapter 8 ( An Introduction to Language )

+Assignment

Prepare a conversation with your classmate that includes slips and tips of the tongue. Be ready to read it aloud in class next week.