Language Acquisition Theories and Stages

The process of learning to understand and use language.

The idea that humans are born with a predisposition to learn language.

Language involves sounds, words, and rules for combining them.

Children typically go through stages like babbling, one-word, and two-word phrases to develop language.

Learning the rules that govern how words are combined in language.

A meaningful unit of language smaller than a word; examples include prefixes and suffixes.

Learning a language after the first language is acquired in later life.

The progression of learning to understand and use language.

The theory that language ability is inborn, meaning humans are genetically predisposed to learn and use language.

Basic features common to all languages, like the concepts of 'noun' and 'verb'.

The set of structural characteristics theoretically shared by all languages.

A theory that children actively create a grammar based on the language they hear.

A theory suggesting language learning comes from associations and connections between words or concepts.

The idea that social interaction plays a vital role in learning language.

A (now-discredited) theory proposing that children learn language by imitating others.

A former theory proposing that language is learned through positive reinforcement.

Behaviors present in all typical members of a species, determined genetically, and not learned.

Behaviors that must be taught or learned through experience; not present in all members of a species.

A specific time frame when a behavior (like language) must be acquired for normal development; learning outside this period can be less effective or impossible.

The time frame, from birth to puberty, where a child needs language exposure to acquire normal language skills.

Six criteria that indicate a behavior is likely biologically controlled, including emergence before needed, lack of conscious decision, and a predictable sequence.

Behaviors that are mainly determined by genetic and biological factors, not fully learned or environmentally driven.

Humans develop walking naturally, typically without instruction.

The question of whether language acquisition is innate, like walking, or learned, like playing the piano, based on Lenneberg's characteristics.

A specific time frame in childhood where language acquisition is most effective and efficient.

A case of a child isolated and abused, discovered at age 13, who displayed abnormal language development.

A case of an isolated child from the early childhood, discovered at age 6 ½, who demonstrated improved language acquisition during early intervention.

Children who grew up in isolation from human interaction, often in the wild with animals.

Children who suffered lack of care and nurturing that affects development.

The typical acquisition of language skills, in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and overall communication, in a timeframe that is typical for a child's age.

The atypical acquisition of language skills, in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and overall communication, which differs from typical child growth.

A communicative gesture system invented by deaf children and their families when a signed language is unavailable. It typically includes gestures for common objects, actions, and family members but lacks a complex grammar.

The idea that there is a sensitive period in early childhood for learning a first language. After this period, it becomes significantly more difficult to acquire language fluency.

A famous case study of a child who was severely deprived of language and social interaction during her early years. She showed limited language abilities despite being exposed to language later in life.

A case study contrasting Genie. Isabelle was isolated with her mother who, although unable to speak, developed a rudimentary gesture system with her. Isabelle acquired language more readily.

Experiences of trauma and neglect can interfere with language acquisition, potentially explaining why some individuals struggle with language development.

A group of deaf individuals who developed a unique sign language after being brought together in a school. This demonstrates the human capacity for spontaneous language creation.

Language is not just words but also involves grammar, syntax, and rules for combining sounds and symbols to convey meaning.

The debate over whether humans are born with an innate capacity for language or if it is entirely learned through experience. Cases like Genie and the Nicaraguan sign language suggest both nature and nurture play a role.