Cognition  Refers to the way in which information is processed and manipulated in remembering, thinking, and knowing.  Includes: Memory, Thinking, and Language  Mental processes

Language  A form of communication that is based on a system of symbols.  Spoken, written, or signed  Includes body language/gestures  How we communicate our culture  Language is:  A) Symbolic- represents  B) Semantic- meaningful  C) Generative- infinite sayings  D) Structured- rules

English  The United States does NOT have an official language.  The de facto national language is English.  English is the third most natively spoken language in the world.

Basic Properties of Language Phonology  A language’s sound system.  Made up of phonemes. Phonemes  The smallest units of sound in a language.  English has about 44 phonemes

Basic Properties of Language Morphology  A language’s rules for word formation.  Made up of morphemes Morphemes  The smallest unit of meaningful sound.  Can be words like a or the.  Can also be parts of words like prefixes or suffixes.

Basic Properties of Language  A language’s rules for combining words to form acceptable phrases and sentences.  Rules of the order of words in a language.  The meaning of words and sentences in a particular language.  Rules by which we derive meaning in a language. SyntaxSemantics Grammar

Basic Properties of Language  The useful character of language and the ability to language to communicate even more meaning that what is said. Pragmatics

Language & Cognition  Language and thinking are intricately intertwined.  We use language to express our ideas to others.  We think in words and in images.

Language & Cognition Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis  Benjamin Whorf (1956) suggested that language determines the way we think  Language influences thought BUT  Research shows that thought also influences language

Theories of Language Acquisition  Nature vs. Nurture  Behaviorist (Nurture)  B.F. Skinner  Learn specific verbal responses through imitation  Learn language through reinforcement and punishment  strictly the environment  Nativist (Nature)  Noam Chomsky  Innate capacity to learn the rules of language  Language Acquisition Device (LAD) : biologically predisposed to engage in language  Interactionist (Nature and Nurture)  Lev Vygotsky  Learn language by interacting with more advanced speakers.  Cognitive/maturation, social communication, and emergentist theories

Interactionist Theory

Language Development

 Language Stages  Babbling Stage  Holophrastic Stage (one-word stage)  Overextension: using the same word to describe a lot of similar objects.  Underextension: using a broad word to describe a specific object.  Two-word Stage  Telegraphic Speech Stage  Child speaks like a telegram  Overgeneralize/Overregulate: when children begin to speak in longer sentences, they overuse the rules of language.  Children start to understand jokes (humor)  Acquire Syntax

Bilingualism  The acquisition of two different languages.  If you learn English & American Sign Language, you are considered bilingual!  Does bilingualism inhibit language development?  Some studies found that bilingual children have smaller vocabularies, but most argue that monolingual and bilingual children are largely similar.  Some studies have found that bilingual children score higher on some cognitive abilities tests. Other have found that they score lower on some cognitive test.

Language & Age  Learning new languages gets harder with age.  PLASTICITY

 Dolphins, sea lions, parrots, chimpanzees  Vocals apparatus issue  American Sign Language  Allen and Beatrice Gardener (1969)  Chimpanzee – Washoe  160 word vocabulary  Sue Savage- Rumbaugh  Bonobo – Kanzi  Symbols on a keyboard  Receptive language – 72 % of 660 requests Language & Animals