24 Questions
What do right-hemisphere lesion patients sometimes have difficulty with?
All of the above
What percentage of the population is left-hemisphere dominant for language?
80-98%
What do left-handed people and women tend to show in their language processing?
More bilateral processing
What does the equipotentiality hypothesis suggest?
Specialization occurs as a function of experience
What does the invariance hypothesis predict about children's language processing?
Children's language processing looks similar to adults
What does research support regarding language development?
The invariance hypothesis
What did dichotic listening on young children show?
A right-ear advantage for verbal stimuli
What did electrophysiology studies of the brain show in response to speech sounds?
Greater left-hemisphere activity
What is a characteristic of human species that is unique to them?
Capacity to acquire language
What happens when humans have no language in common?
They use a pidgin to communicate
What is true about human language acquisition?
Humans have a natural ability to acquire language
What is the term for the communication system created when people have no language in common?
Pidgin
What is an example of a pidgin language?
Hawaiian Pidgin English
What drives humans to create language?
The desire to communicate
What is the role of language in human society?
It is a means of communication
What is a characteristic of pidgins?
They have limited linguistic structure
What is a significant factor influencing the language outcomes of foreign-born adopted children?
The age at which they were adopted
What is the term for the period during which children are more likely to acquire language naturally and effortlessly?
Sensitive Period
What is the finding regarding the language abilities of deaf children who are exposed to sign language from infancy?
They are more proficient than deaf children exposed to sign language later in childhood
What is the correlation between the age of exposure to a second language and the likelihood of native-like proficiency in that language?
The younger the immigrant, the more native-like their proficiency
What is the main finding regarding the language acquisition rates of mono-zygotic (identical) and di-zygotic (fraternal) twins?
Mono-zygotic twins show more similar rates of language development than di-zygotic twins
What is the genetic component of language impairment, according to twin and adoption studies?
Strong genetic component, seen in both children and adults
What is the role of the FOXP2 gene in language development?
It is one of several genes that enable language acquisition
What is the implication of the Critical Period Hypothesis for language acquisition in adults?
Adults have a harder time acquiring language than children
Study Notes
Language as a Human Universal
- Language is a characteristic of the human species, and all human children have the capacity to acquire language.
- Language is a universal aspect of human nature, and humans create language even when there is no model to learn from.
Language Creation
- Pidgins are communication systems created when people have no language in common.
- Pidgins have limited linguistic structure and use lexical items from one or more contact languages.
- Example: Hawaiian Pidgin English was created by immigrant workers who shared no language with each other or with their English-speaking employers.
The Human Brain and Language
- The right hemisphere of the brain may be involved in the pragmatic aspects of language use.
- Right-hemisphere lesion patients may have difficulty understanding jokes, sarcasm, and figurative language.
- Individual and sex-related differences exist in brain organization for language processing.
Brain Development and Language Development
- Two competing views on the development of left-hemisphere specialization for language:
- Equipotentiality hypothesis: both hemispheres have the potential to host language ability, and specialization occurs through experience.
- Invariance hypothesis: the left hemisphere is specified to host language from birth and maturation has no effect on specialization.
- Research supports the invariance hypothesis, with evidence from dichotic listening and electrophysiology studies.
The Critical Period Hypothesis
- Evidence supports the critical period hypothesis, including:
- Late acquisition of sign language: deaf children exposed to sign language from infancy are more proficient than those exposed later in childhood.
- Second language acquisition: younger immigrants to the USA tend to sound and perform more like native speakers.
The Genetic Basis of Language Development
- The heritability of individual differences in language acquisition rates is strong, with monozygotic twins showing more similar rates than dizygotic twins.
- The genetics of language impairment:
- Language impairment has a strong genetic component, with twin and adoption studies supporting this.
- The FOXP2 gene is critical for typical language development, but is not the sole gene responsible for language or speech.
This quiz covers the biological aspects of language development, including the human vocal tract, brain, and genetic basis of language development.
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