Language:

“the jewel of the crown of cognition”

- Steven Pinker

What is language?

• A form of communication that is based on a system of symbols

• It is perhaps what separates humans from other species.

Language Structure

• Phonemes

• Morphemes

• Words

• Phrases

• Sentences

• Discourse

Grammar: The rules of language

• Semantics - deriving meaning from morphemes, words, and sentences

• Syntax - rules of how words are ordered

• Note that there is productivity in language as well as regularity

Can Animals Understand Language?

• Washoe- chimpanzee who was taught sign language– Acquired 181 signs

• Kanzi- bonobo taught some English – displays understanding of limited

vocabulary

How does language develop?

• 6 months = cooing, vowels, babbling– “citizens of the world”

• 12 months = spoken language sounds only, first words

• 18-24 months = telegraphic (two-word) speech

• By age 6 = understands most grammar rules of language (implicitly!)

Can the “citizens of the world” window be lengthened?

• Using audiotapes of other languages?

• Videos of other languages?

A related tangent: Theory of Mind

• The understanding of symbolic representations occurs around 48 months of age

• This is also the age when theory of mind develops = understanding of others’ mental states

Zimmerman, Christakis, and Meltzoff (2007)

• Compared language development in children who had been exposed to ‘Baby Einstein’ and ‘Brainy Baby’ DVDs

• Found a large negative correlation between watching and language abilities

• Avg of 6-8 words lost per hour of watching

Critical Period for Language

• During this period, we are especially sensitive to environmental influences

• Evidence:– Children in isolation do not learn rules of

grammar– Recovery after brain damage much more

likely earlier rather than later

Bilingualism

• Simultaneous bilinguals: learned 2 languages simultaneously

• Sequential bilinguals: learned one language, then another

Age of learning a 2nd language

• Phonology: the earlier, the better

• Vocabulary: age of acquisition does not matter

• Grammar: age does not matter

• Brain activation (Hirsch, 1997)– Early bilinguals- same area activated– Later bilinguals- adjacent area activated

Biological Influences: Chomsky’s Language Universals

• An innate ability to learn language is prewired

• Children worldwide develop in similar way around the world

• Language ability cannot be solely due to imitation

Environmental Influences

• Behaviorist view- operant conditioning– Issues

• Exposure to language improves and quickens language development

Strategies

• Be an active conversationalist.

• Talk as if you’re understood.

• Use a style with which you feel comfortable.

• Remember, infants shape us, too!