N:\WPDOCS\M&L\language\language basic questions

Initial Theory of Language

Questions Used to Generate Student Views

Initial Question

What is a language? What do we mean by the term “human language?”

Human language… the way we communicate. This includes facial expressions, crying laughing, other expressions of internal states. The culture does NOT make a CLEAR distinction between language and other forms of communication.

  1. How does a child go about acquiring a language? Or is it acquired? This is another way of asking whether language is learned or innate. It is about how language develops.
  2. Give some specific acquisition scenarios. That is, describe the observable development of a typical child and
  3. for each aspect of development, tell what environmental or cognitive variables are important

(for example, how does a child learn what dog means? ...how to say dog? ... how to make dog plural? ... how to say “the dog chased the cat” instead of *“the chase cat the dog”. Be specific).

Language is learned, reinforcement, encouraged to say certain words, praise is used, modeling is important, parents, TV, sibs,

Environment: being around language… having the ability to learn language. If kids are slower they have a harder time learning lang (lang learning is related to intelligence).

Acquisition: is gradual approximation and learned by reinf of others .

A good teacher (surrounding adults… teachers, parents, aunts and uncles, cousin, older sib) is important

Learn by imitating your parents, learn the basic rules and string it together. Generalizations: mousse instead of mice… trial and error and reinf. [one person: existence of lang is innate but the specific language is learned via immersion. You have a natural ability but learning the specific lang. is necessary]

A child taught to say dog also applied the word to cat: overgeneralization.

No one said anything about plural or grammar. Many students didn’t ask about these things. We DON’T PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO THESE.

When we talk about language we forget to talk about grammar… or we neglect it. Keisha says we were taught (!!) how to pluralize or the word order when we were young, so we don’t focus on that now. We still learn new vocab, so we’re more aware of it. WORD FOCUS.

Children are TAUGHT language by others around them. Parent reads to child, showing word and picture together (‘this is a doggie, see the doggie?) or saying your name, parents use flash cards, teaching tone of voice(hiher or lower) cat says meow moew, dog says bow wow, and child is to repeat. Leading questions… what’s this? This is a … GAMES are played by parents w/ children.

Dog – dogs: Julie: it’s like in the clinic, but less formal. Instances of 1 dog are compared to instances of 2 dogs. See the ducks? If the child says duck, you might correct them. Might be teaching counting at same time. (Puzzle: there is a complex rule for plural that adults CAN’T VERBALIZE and THEREFORE CAN’T TEACH to children).

Syntax. The parents just teach them. If a child says chase dog cat the parent corrects OR the parent shows by reacting that its wrong. Parents may prompt or correct.

Modeling. Children learn to associate meanings with sounds. Reinforcement is important. Social reinforcement. For plural, modeling and correction is important. For arranging words, modeling & correction. Parents may actively teach language.

  1. Psychologists espouse “principles of learning or behavior.” Are the learning principles that govern the acquisition of language the same as those that govern, say the acquisition of geometry (formally tutored) or composition or good manners (informally tutored)? Or are they different? If so, how? Is learning language like a chicken learning to play the piano (Skinnerian reinforcement and shaping: Skinner taught a chicken to play Yankee Doodle on a toy piano using shaping)?

Like learning a math principle… learn it in chunkcs, learn out to apply, get corrected by other people, gradual learning and mastery.

Learning lang is different… not like mat skills because you can observe and mimic but not math (you have to be tutored), more like learning manners… modeling.

Geometry is less natural than learning language.

Reinforcement, reward is important; clap, smile, treat, gold star [one disagreement… rewards not necessary]

The way language is learned depends on IQ… thus is learned like other things.

Many ways learning a language is like learning other things. Language learning is first learned in a social setting, not in the classroom, BUT later is also learned in the classroom. Both formal AND informal tutoring.

  1. Whatknowledge is acquired when one acquires a language? What do you know that a non-English speaker does not know? What does a French speaker know that you (assuming you don’t speak French) do not know?

Learn vocabulary, meaning of words, syntax, culture, slang. How to pronounce things, structure. Vocabulary is the emphasis, only 4 got grammar.

Several people got body language, facial expression, tone of voice.

  1. In terms of their structures, are there ways in which all languages are the same? Are there any “universals” of language? Or is each language structurally unique? (this is not a question about function (which of course is always communication) but about form or struc.

A related question: All family vehicles (cars, vans, pickups, etc.) are basically the same (steering, engine, suspension, dashboard controls, seats, etc.) although there are many superficial style differences. The contrast here is between underlying similarities versus superficial differences. On the other hand it is difficult to find any underlying similarities if one includes the whole class of vehicles, from skateboards to ocean liners. Are human languages like family vehicles (just superficial differences) or like the class of vehicles (little if anything common across all)?

Universal? Most said yes but can’t name any. The goals are the same but the details are different. Most said they are a class of vehicles. You have to know the culture Word order and structure? A lot of people are struck by the DIFFERENCES among languages..

  1. It is said that language is made of sound, meaning, and syntax. Characterize each.

Talking, noise, verbal communication… sound waves, vibrations

Meaning: portray something, understand things… a way to communicate, show gestures

Syntax: most language has some form of syntax, order of words

Everyone had trouble eliticing information.

  1. Are there animal communication systems similar to human language? If you answer yes, tell what they are and how they are similar.

Almost universal yeses: whining of dog, anger or fear in dog, monkeys, gorilla(anger display) cat… can tell when angry, wants attention, fearful, bull charging

No: more sophisticated, more abstract meaning. Ours is more complex. We can convey more conceptual ideas, abstract ideas. We’re smarter than they. Sometimes languages are more DIVERSE than animal communication systems.

  1. Are there any animals that can LEARN a human language? Or is this impossible? (Could a chimp learn to use tag questions?)

YES almost everyone get YES on this question. 3 said no. Many people seem to know about research on chimps learning sign language.

  1. Do languages vary in their complexity and well-formedness? For example, are there primitive languages? (There are remote areas of the globe where humans live in primitive cultures. Do they speak a simpler language?) [the term “primitive” here is not meant in it’s pejorative sense. If you prefer, replace it with “simpler” or “less developed”]

Many don’t want to admit to this. English is a hard language to learn, Spanish is easier. Developed countries may have harder language because we have so many things to describe… computers, etc. Most say yes. No clear dissent. Do the informants distinguish between learning the language and the language itself? Probably no. do informants distinguish between vocabulary (which obviously varies from language to language) and other aspects of language? Probably not.

  1. How is language unique or special, compared to other cognitive activities or other cognitive abilities (like memory, perception, attention)?

I don’t know is very common. Unique responses: Language can be shared across people, can be used outside the mind, Interactive and open to interpretation. There doesn’t seem to be a cultural view. Two said that you don’t have to learn memory perception, attention, as opposed to language.

  1. The Italian cat question: an Italian cat would fully understand the communication system of an American cat. The cat’s communication system is innate. Except for superficial vocabulary and syntax differences, are English and Italian likewise “the same”?

Ability is innate but the actual languages are cultural. You are not born to speak Spanish or English. [but what do we mean by “ ability”?]

  1. How do we understand language? When we hear and successfully understand someone’s statement or request, what are the mental operations we use? Give a scenario/story using a specific statement, request, etc. For example, how do you come to know the meaning of “The boy hit the ball.”

Individual pictures what is being said in mind…. Being taught to speak feeds into understanding, you use the same knowledge of language in both, We use past experience to relate to what people say. We we retrieve of know the meanings of the words and put them together… maybe to get an image. “I don’t know”… or didn’t get a complete or sensible answer. Had to lead the person.

  1. How do we produce language? How do you turn thought into speech? Give a scenario/story using a specific statement, request, etc. For example, how to do manage to say “The boy hit the ball.”

Brain has image, transfers to the language part, then to mouth. Many “I don’t know”.

10-12 were answered briefly, didn’t have much to say. Some people had a hard time distinguishing between 11 & 12. Apparently we don’t have awareness of our USE of language. Compare to memory. Language is mostly unconscious.