Language

Importance of Language  Allows us to communicate what we feel or desire  We connect to other people  We share our experiences  25 things about language 25 things about language

What is language?  The ability to acquire and use complex systems of communication, particularly the human ability to do so, and a language is any specific example of such a system.  The scientific study of language is called linguistics.

Language and thought  Benjamin Whorf  Language shapes our thoughts, emotions, and helps us determine our perception of reality.  “I spent yesterday with my neighbor”  Gender and objects

Basics of Language development  Phonemes, morphemes and syntax  Phonemes  Morphemes  Syntax

Language development  All children develop language in the same sequence  Crying  Babbling  Learning words  Development of grammar

Critical period  a period in a lifetime during which a specific stage of development usually occurs. If it fails to do so, it cannot readily occur afterwards  For language it is by age 13 to learn your first language  By age 7-8 it the ability to learn a language declines rapidly

Language Acquisition device  Noam Chomsky (1965)  The LAD is a hypothetical tool hardwired into the brain that helps children rapidly learn and understand language.  Chomsky proposed that every child was born with a LAD that holds the fundamental rules for language. In other words, children are born with an understanding of the rules of language; they simply need to acquire the vocabulary.

Feral children and language  A human child who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age, and has no (or little) experience of human care, loving or social behavior, and, crucially, of human language  Myths, legends and fictional characters  In reality, many children are neglected, abused and abandoned  Without language, they have lost the ability to communicate and interact socially with others  Something to think about: Does language make us more human?

Language and environment  Heredity and environment play a role in language development  Many factors influence language development: parents education, social class, education, time spent reading etc.  2 years-300 words approx.  3 years-1000 words  5 years-5000 words  Neglected children scored lower on cognitive tests.

Being bilingual (or multilingual)  Research indicates the more a child is exposed to another language the more likely they will become fluent in that language.  The earlier they learn the second language, the easier it is. (remember Critical period?)  Many, many Benefits!  bilingual brains are better bilingual brains are better  benefits of being bilingual benefits of being bilingual

More on feral children  Danielle Danielle  Genie  Wild child