PSYCH 130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Nicaraguan Sign Language, Universal Grammar, Artistic Language
16 Nov 2017
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W7L1
Animals and Language
● Animals require much more extensive training in order to use symbols to communicate
○ Human babies can pick up language by just listening to language input
● If language is simply defined as communicating, all kinds of animals are capable of it
○ E.g. apes signing, honeybees dancing, parrots repeating words
Components of Language
● Phonology: sounds of language
● Semantics and Lexicon: word learning
● Grammar: putting language parts together
○ Morphology: word + word parts
■ E.g. play + ed = played
○ Syntax: combining words into sentences
● Pragmatics: use of language (to communicate, accomplish goals)
● Apes can master use of symbols but will not generate new inventive sentences (unique
to humans)
○ Humans are the only species that employs syntax to create new sentences
Nature
Nativism
● Chomsky and others
● Language is innate, just add language input
● Chomsky: Language Acquisition Device in the brain
○ Cognitive tool required for language
○ Universal grammar: inborn knowledge of the general form of language
● Language skills are domain specific
● According to this view, we have the same basic ability to learn any language and have
the same language tools
Evidence:
● Rapid development in the domain of language
○ E.g. intermodal perception at 4m/o, matching mouth movements to sounds
● Poverty of the stimulus - our language input is so poor that cannot account for the
development that we see
○ We produce errors in language all the type but kids learn correct language
anyways
○ Need specific language tools
Sign language creation
● People are naturally driven to use language
● When language is not available to children, they create it
● E.g. Deaf child born into hearing family → home sign systems
○ Basic gestures that the family uses for common words as a primitive language
■ Not a complete language
● Nicaraguan Sign Language
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Animals require much more extensive training in order to use symbols to communicate. Human babies can pick up language by just listening to language input. If language is simply defined as communicating, all kinds of animals are capable of it. E. g. apes signing, honeybees dancing, parrots repeating words. Pragmatics: use of language (to communicate, accomplish goals) Apes can master use of symbols but will not generate new inventive sentences (unique to humans) Humans are the only species that employs syntax to create new sentences. Language is innate, just add language input. Chomsky: language acquisition device in the brain. Universal grammar: inborn knowledge of the general form of language. According to this view, we have the same basic ability to learn any language and have the same language tools. Rapid development in the domain of language. E. g. intermodal perception at 4m/o, matching mouth movements to sounds.
