Language: Why is it important?:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uO46ii3W07U

A system of words and rules for combining words to communicate thoughts and feelingshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9shPouRWCs

Would you go in the correct door?

Components of language: Phonemes

Basic, smallest units of sound

Individual sounds that letters make

Most languages have 30-50

English has about 40

Components of language: Morphemes Smallest unit of language with meaning

Can be words, prefixes, suffixes and compound words

http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/what-is-language.html

Grammar Rules for the combination and use of

words

Grammar = set of rules in a language

Syntax = combo of words to form phrases & sentences

Semantics = rules that govern the meaning of words & sentences

Proposed by Noam Chomsky in the 1960s:

Surface Structure = the order of words in a sentence

Deep Structure = a representation of underlying meanings in sentences

See handout 8.15 (on next slide)

Development of Language

Stages of development

Cooing

Babbling

Single word stage

Two-word stage “telegraphic”

Year 3…complex sentences

Talking Twin Babies - PART 2 - OFFICIAL VIDEO.mp4http://www.ted.com/talks/patricia_kuhl_the_linguistic_genius_of_babies

Learning Theory

Conditioning & imitation

Focuses on the role of modeling and rewards

Biological Basis Theory

Chomsky’s theory of innate language acquisition

Genetic predisposition to develop language

Eric Lenneberg’s Critical Period Hypothesis

States that there is a sensitive (critical) period for language development when learning a language is easier

Language Development

Secret of the Wild Child

Full video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmdycJQi4QA

Shorter version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjZolHCrC8E