Unit 5

Language
Our spoken written or gestured words and the way we combining them in communication


Phonemes
In a spoken language, the smallest distinctive sound unit.

Morphemes
In a language, the smallest unit that carries meaning
Can be a word or part of a word ( prefix or suffix)


Grammar
A system of rules in a language that enables us to communicate and understand others

Semantics
The set of rules by which we derive meaning in a language
Adding Ed at the end of the words means past tense

Syntax
The rules for combining words into grammatically sensible sentences.

Language development
Babbling stage: starting at 3-4 months, the infant makes spontaneous sounds. Not limited to the phonemes of the infant’s household language.

One word stage: 1-2 years old, uses one word to communicate big meanings

Two word stage: at age 2, uses two words to communicate meanings- called telegraphic speech.


Skinner
• Skinner thought that we can explain language development through social learning theory.


Chomsky
• In born universal grammar
• We acquire language too quickly for it to be learned.
• We have this “learning box” inside our heads that enable us to learn any human language.

Whorf’s linguistic relativity
The idea that Language determines the way we think( not give versa)

Thinking without language
• We can think in words
• But more often we think in mental pictures.


Kohler’s chimpanzees