Language Acquisition Debate

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Questions and Answers

What is the underlying assumption in the imitations task?

Children can only repeat an utterance using their own grammar

Children can only process an utterance using their own grammar

Children can't repeat an utterance without analysing/processing it using their own grammar (correct)

Children can repeat an utterance without processing it using their own grammar

What is a limitation of the imitations task?

It is a very easy task for children to understand

It provides a lot of opportunity for spontaneous speech

It can be boring for children and potentially induce performance issues (correct)

It is a very engaging task for children

What is the purpose of setting up the 'meaning' in the Elicited Production task?

To create a boring story context

To introduce the lead-in

To make the task more engaging

To create a natural context for the target sentence (correct)

What is the advantage of using Elicited Production in language research?

It allows for direct exposure of the child's grammar Signup and view all the answers

What is the importance of Felicity Conditions in Elicited Production?

They provide a natural context for the target sentence Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of giving children all the ingredients (words) they need in the Elicited Production task?

To allow children to form the target sentence on their own Signup and view all the answers

What is the central debate in linguistics regarding language acquisition?

Nature vs. nurture Signup and view all the answers

What do children's utterances, such as 'car stuck' or 'why I can't go?', demonstrate?

That children are not parroting adult language Signup and view all the answers

What is a key aspect of knowing a language?

Knowledge of certain rules Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of negative knowledge in language?

Having intuitions about unacceptable sentences Signup and view all the answers

What is an example of universal ordering in language?

The ordering of adjectives in a noun phrase Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for the gap between our experience and the grammar of our native language?

Plato's Problem Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of elicited speech in language acquisition research?

To investigate the linguistic abilities of children Signup and view all the answers

What is the goal of elicited imitation in language acquisition research?

To examine children's ability to repeat sentences accurately Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Language Acquisition

The nature/nurture debate in linguistics revolves around how much of language acquisition is learned and how much is biologically equipped.

Understanding Language

To know a language means understanding certain rules, including grammar and syntax.
Negative knowledge, or intuitions about what is unacceptable in a language, is also an important aspect of language acquisition.

Universal Ordering

Adjective ordering is a universal aspect of language, with certain patterns being more acceptable than others (e.g., "the big brown dog" is acceptable, but "brown big dog" is not).

Plato's Problem

Plato's Problem refers to the gap between the input or experience a child receives and the adult grammar they eventually develop.
It questions how children can learn so much about language with relatively little input.

Elicited Speech

Elicited speech involves tasks designed to test children's language abilities, including pronunciation, word order, and sentence structure.

Elicited Imitation

Elicited imitation involves asking children to repeat a sentence or phrase, with the goal of assessing their current language abilities.
Limitations of this method include the potential for boredom and performance issues, as well as the requirement for children to hold sentences in their verbal working memory.

Elicited Production

Elicited production involves using games or activities to elicit specific sentence structures or grammar from children.
Advantages of this method include direct exposure to the child's language abilities, experimental control, and the ability to test complex or infrequent sentence structures.

Felicity Conditions

Felicity conditions refer to the context in which a sentence is naturally used, and are essential for eliciting specific language responses from children.
Children are more sensitive to felicity conditions than adults, and experimenters must set up the context carefully to elicit the desired response.

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Description

Explore the nature vs. nurture debate in linguistics, discussing how children acquire language and what it means to know a language. Learn about children's language development and the similarities across different environments.