1. Language

2. Basic Elements of Language

3. Structure Morphemes Words Phrases Sentences Grammar
The smallest unit of sound that affects the meaning of speech
Number of phonemes in world’s languages varies from 13 (Hawaiian) to over 60 (Hindi) – English has about 40
Same letter can represent multiple phonemes
(i.e. letter “a” in cake vs. cat)
Morphemes
Words
Phrases
Sentences
Grammar

4. Structure Grammar Semantics
Rules that govern the formation of phrases and sentences in a language (i.e. placement of nouns, adjectives, etc.)
Snows sudden floods melting cause.
Melting snows cause sudden floods.
Semantics
Rapid bouquets deter sudden neighbors
(Because it uses words combined in proper syntax, it sounds right, but we recognize it as nonsense because of semantics) n

5. Language development How many words do you think you know now?
Probably around
After age 1 you average about 13 words a day.

6. Language Acquisition
Stages that we learn language…

7. Social Learning Theory
B.F. Skinner from the Behaviorist School
Baby may imitate a parent.
If they are reinforced they keep saying the word.
If they are punished, they stop saying the word.

8. Chomsky’s Theory (nativist theory)
We learn language too quickly for it to be through reinforcement and punishment.

9. Development Babbling Stage One-Word Stage Two-Word Stage
By 9-10 months, begins to resemble native language – lose ability to make or distinguish certain sounds from other languages
One-Word Stage
After this period, vocabulary begins expanding rapidly
Two-Word Stage
“Telegraphic” Speech - mostly nouns & verbs, typically follows syntax
By about 5 yrs, have acquired most of grammatical rules

10. Language Acquisition Theories
Operant Conditioning (Skinner)
Learning comes from reinforcement and modeling
But, it seems not all language behavior in children could be explain by this – learn too much, too fast and many phrases that are never conditioned/modeled
Inborn Universal Grammar (Chomsky)
We all come “pre-wired” (nature) with a “language acquisition device” to use language (all languages in world are variations of similar components) – exposure allows it to develop (nurture)

11. Whorf’s Linguistic Relativity
The idea…
The Hopi tribe has no past tense in their language, so Whorf says they rarely think of the past.

12. The Brain and Language
Language is a complex interplay among multiple parts of the brain
Broca’s area – controls language expression
Wernicke’s area – controls language reception and comprehension
The angular gyrus serves as sort of a relay station between Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas when reading aloud
The motor cortex is involved in the muscle movement necessary to produce speech

13. Thinking and Language
Language and thinking are related – language can influence thinking and thinking helps create and shape language
Language influencing thinking –
Many bilingual people report having different personalities or senses of self depending on the language they are speaking at a given time
The way we talk about things can influence how people think about them. For example, more people are willing to agree to a procedure that has a 90% success rate than one that has a 10% failure rate.
Thinking influencing language
Motor memory – you have to picture the motion before you can describe it
Images allow us to rehearse skills and other information
Thought creates language – think of words that have been invented in the last 15 years – , texting, etc.

14. Do Animals think?

15. Animal Thinking and Language
Apes tend to be the closest to humans in their abilities and in some cases actually exceed humans on certain memory tasks.

16. Kohler’s Chimpanzees Kohler exhibited that Chimps can problem solve.
Insight Learning

17. Animal Language and Limits