Language A means of communication Language can

Language A means of communication.

Language can be…. .

All languages contain…. Phonemes • The smallest units of sound in a language. • English has about 44 phonemes. How many phonemes does platypus have? Morphemes • The smallest unit of meaningful sound. • Can be words like a or but. • Can also be parts of words like prefixes or suffixes…”ed” at the end of a word means past tense. • Examples

Grammar • The rules of a language. • Syntax: the order of words in a language. Is this the White House or the House White?

Language Acquisition Stages that we learn language… • Babbling Stage - 6 -18 months • Holophrastic Stage (one word stage)12 -18 - months • Telegraphic Speech Stage (two word stage) – 2 years • After the telegraphic stage we get overregularization – 3 years

How do we learn language?

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.

Chomsky’s Theory (nativist theory) • We learn language too quickly for it to be through reinforcement and punishment. • Inborn universal language acquisition device

Whorf’s Linguistic Relativity • The idea that language determines the way we think. • The Hopi tribe has no past tense in their language, so Whorf says they rarely think of the past. • Sniglets! • Language & Human Nature

Do animals use language? Koko the Signing Gorilla

Case Study: Genie • Linguistic Clips