Introduction to Linguistics 9 psycholinguistics

LanguageAcquisitionPsycholinguisticsDefinitionPsycholinguistics:thestudyofthementalprocessesoflistening,speaking,andacquisitionoflanguagebychildren.Purpose:Tofigureoutwhatpeoplehavetoknowaboutlanguageinordertouseit;howthatknowledgeisusedtoprocesslanguage.Issues:Howdoyouformanutteranceinyourmindandutterit?Howdoyoutakeinlanguageyouhear&figureoutwhatitis?Howdobabieslearnlanguage?HowdoyoulearnaL2?LanguageacquisitionHowdochildrenlearnlanguage?Imitation?Observation:ChildrenofFrench-speakingparentsspeakFrenchConclusion:ChildrenmustlearnlanguagebyimitatingtheirparentsBUT…SometimeslanguageisnotimitatedChild:Myteacherholdedthebabyrabbitsandwepattedthem.Adult:Didyousayyourteacherheldthebabyrabbits?Child:Yes.Adult:Whatdidyousayshedid?Child:Sheholdedthebabyrabbitsandwepattedthem.Adult:Didyousaysheheldthemtightly?Child:No,sheholdedthemloosely.Conclusion:ChildhaslearnedtheEnglishregularpasttenserule.Buthergrammardoesnotadmitexceptionstothisrule(irregularverbs)Source:CHILDES(ChildLanguageDataExchangeSystem).BMacWhinney&C.SnowSometimeslanguageisnotimitatedChildrensaythingsparentsneversayPhonological:[fIs]‘fish’,[gagi]‘doggie’Morphological:goed,runned,mousesSyntactic:“Iamcute,amn’tI?=Overgeneralizations:whenlearnedrulesareappliedincorrectly(viahypothesistesting)toirregularformsTeaching/reinforcement?Maybechildrenaretaughtrulesthatarereinforcedwhenappliedcorrectly,andarecorrectedwhenappliedinerrorBUT…SometimeslanguageisnottaughtWeknowmanyrulesoflanguagethatwewerenottaughtPhonologicalrulesPasttenseof:walkjogliftAdd[-t],[-d],or[´d]Pluralof:catdogfishAdd[-s],[-z],or[-´z]Allomorph:avariantofamorpheme--morphemesappearindifferentforms,dependingonthephoneticcontextinwhichtheyoccurRememberwugtest?MorphologicalrulesExpletiveinfixation:Insertexpletive(e.g.,‘bloody’,‘freakin’,‘f*ckin’…)intoawordforemphasise.g.,fan-bloody-tasticabso-freakin’-lutelyguaran-dam*-teeri-goshdarn-diculousAnd...wesometimesdon’tlearnthingswhentheyareexplicitlypointedout...Igotsaquextion.Youmean‘Ihaveaquestion?’Ihaveaquextion.Question[kwEs-tS´n].Quextion…Sometimeslanguagecan’tbetaughtChild:Nobodydon’tlikeme.Adult:No,say“Nobodylikesme.”Child:Nobodydon’tlikeme.(dialoguerepeatedeighttimes)Adult:Now,listencarefully.Say,“Nobodylikesme.”Child:Oh,nobodydon’tlikesme.Howdoweacquirelanguage?TheProblem:RulesofgrammarareunconsciousLanguagelearningprocessisunconsciousSolution:InnatenessHumansaregeneticallypredisposedtoacquirelanguageHumansdrawuponinnateknowledgewhenlearninglanguageSuchinnateknowledgeisknownasUniversalGrammar(Universalgrammarisatheoryoflinguisticspostulatingprinciplesofgrammarsharedbyalllanguages,thoughttobeinnatetohumans.Itattemptstoexplainlanguageacquisitioningeneral,notdescribespecificlanguages.Universalgrammarproposesasetofrulesintendedtoexplainlanguageacquisitioninchilddevelopment.)BasicsCentralHypothesis:Languageisaninnatecapacity.Question:Whatdoweseeaboutthenatureofinnatelinguisticstructurebylookingattheacquisitionprocess?Evidenceforinnateness:TheCriticalPeriodEricLenneberg(1960s)Thereisacriticalperiodoftime(frombirthuntilaboutpuberty)whenlanguagemustbeacquired;afterthisperiod,normallanguageacquisitioncannottakeplace.Thatis,thereisaspecificperiodearlyinlifeduringwhichalearnercanlearnanativelanguage.Fact:Childrenarebetteratlearninglanguagesthanadultsare.SupportforcriticalperiodBrainplasticity:children,butnotadults,canrecoverfromseverelefthemispheredamageYoungerchildrenrecovermorecompletelythanolderchildrenSupportforcriticalperiod‘WildChildren’Childrenwithlittleornoexposuretolanguageduetounfortunatecircumstancescannotnormallygraspthelanguage.EffectsoftheCriticalPeriodLearningalanguage;Under7years:perfectcommandofthelanguagepossible.Ages8-15:Perfectcommandlesspossibleprogressively.Age15-:Imperfectcommandpossible.Insomespecialcases,wearegivenawindowonthenatureofthecriticalperiod.SpecialCasesGenie:caseofGenieDiscoveredin1970,131/2yrs.oldShewasneverspokentoorallowedtospeak.Afterintervention,shebegantolearnlanguage,thoughslowly.Butsheneverlearnedlanguagenormally(levelof21/2yrs.old).Onlycapableofproducingtelegraphicutterances(e.g.MikepaintorApplesaucebuystoreetc.).Isabelle:Isolateduntilage6.5.Masteredcomplexgrammarwithin1.5years.Languageacquisition:thecriticalperiodLanguagecannotbeeffectivelylearnedafterbrainlateralizationiscompleteThismaybearoundpubertyFromkin(Natalie’sbook)saysthatGenie’sstoryprovesthecriticalperiodhypothesis.YulemakestheoppositeclaimGeniehadzeroexposuretolanguageuntilshewas13,butshedidacquiresomelanguageShelearntwords,butverylimitedsyntaxDichoticexperimentsshowedthatshehadnoleft-hemispherelanguagefacilityItispossibletousetherighthemisphereforrestrictedlanguagepurposes.L1acquisitionlearningLanguageislikewalkingReadingandwritingarelikeridingabike,orswimmingManylanguageshavenowritingsystemSomepeopleneverlearntoreadSecondlanguageisusuallytaughtNaturevsnurtureBFSkinnerwroteVerbalBehaviorin1957HesaidthatbabiesarebornwithabrainwhichismoreorlessemptyTheylearnlanguage(andeverythin