5.11 Language

• What is syntax?


  the ordering of words when making a sentence.
• What is semantics?


  refers to the study of understanding the meanings of words and word combinations.
• What is a lexicon?


  the general store of vocabulary for people.

  
  

  For instance, every occupation has "lexicon" specific to the field. A chef has a different lexicon than a surgeon
• What are phonemes?


  are the basic sound units of language.

  
  

  The word "chat" has three phonemes - ch-a-t
• What are morphemes?


  the smallest meaningful units of speech.

  
  

  Remember morphemes=meaning.

  
  

  It may be part of a word, like a prefix or suffix, but it could be a full word as well. Most morphemes combine 2-3 phonemes.
• What is Language Acquisition Device?


  the innate ability built into our human genetic code to understand and use language
• What does Noam Chomsky believe about language development?


  says that childhood is the critical period for language development and without exposure, it is impossible to learn a language.
• What is the babbling stage?


  An early stage of speech that occurs around the age of 3-4 months when children produce spontaneous meaningless sounds (ex. ah-goo)
• What is overgeneralization of grammar?


  Using grammar rules without proper use and exceptions. For example, a young child might say "I goed to the park,"
• What is the Linguistic Relativity Hypothesis?


  Based on the theories of Benjamin Whorf, that perceptions are relative to language; language influences our perceptions of the world.
• What are the two main parts of the brain for acquiring language?

  Broca's area and Wernicke's area
• What is aphasia?


  the impairment of language that occurs when either the Broca's area (expressive aphasia) or Wernicke's area (receptive aphasia) is damaged.