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Questions and Answers
What does the Whorfian hypothesis suggest about language and thought?
What does the Whorfian hypothesis suggest about language and thought?
Bilingual children have larger vocabularies than monolingual children at early ages.
Bilingual children have larger vocabularies than monolingual children at early ages.
False
Describe one benefit of being raised in a bilingual environment.
Describe one benefit of being raised in a bilingual environment.
Better executive control.
The Whorfian hypothesis is often criticized for being too ______.
The Whorfian hypothesis is often criticized for being too ______.
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Match the following terms with their descriptions:
Match the following terms with their descriptions:
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What is primarily impaired in Broca’s Aphasia?
What is primarily impaired in Broca’s Aphasia?
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All languages utilize the same sounds and rules for their organization.
All languages utilize the same sounds and rules for their organization.
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What is the smallest unit of sound in language called?
What is the smallest unit of sound in language called?
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The area of the brain associated with understanding language is called _____ area.
The area of the brain associated with understanding language is called _____ area.
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Match the following language aspects with their definitions:
Match the following language aspects with their definitions:
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At what age are children sensitive to the statistical regularities in the language they hear?
At what age are children sensitive to the statistical regularities in the language they hear?
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Once humans reach adulthood, they can easily distinguish phonemes of any language.
Once humans reach adulthood, they can easily distinguish phonemes of any language.
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What happens to phonemic sensitivity as we grow older?
What happens to phonemic sensitivity as we grow older?
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What term describes the capacity to create an endless series of new combinations from a set of basic units in language?
What term describes the capacity to create an endless series of new combinations from a set of basic units in language?
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A word is the smallest free form unit that can stand alone.
A word is the smallest free form unit that can stand alone.
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What is meant by 'prosody' in speech?
What is meant by 'prosody' in speech?
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The rules that govern how language should be used are known as __________ rules.
The rules that govern how language should be used are known as __________ rules.
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Which of the following statements describes a 'bad' English sentence?
Which of the following statements describes a 'bad' English sentence?
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Descriptive rules explain how language should be used, while prescriptive rules describe how it is used.
Descriptive rules explain how language should be used, while prescriptive rules describe how it is used.
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Give an example of how an old word can take on a new meaning.
Give an example of how an old word can take on a new meaning.
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What is speech segmentation?
What is speech segmentation?
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Coarticulation only occurs within a single word and not at word boundaries.
Coarticulation only occurs within a single word and not at word boundaries.
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What is categorical perception?
What is categorical perception?
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The __________ effect allows us to fill in missing phonemes based on context.
The __________ effect allows us to fill in missing phonemes based on context.
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Match the following researchers with their experiments:
Match the following researchers with their experiments:
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What do we often rely on to understand language better?
What do we often rely on to understand language better?
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Individuals can better identify words when they are presented in isolation rather than in a sentence context.
Individuals can better identify words when they are presented in isolation rather than in a sentence context.
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Study Notes
Language Unit 11
- Language is a complex system that is hierarchically organized
- Language is composed of smaller units that build up to larger units
- Phonemes are the smallest units of sound
- Morphemes are the smallest units of meaning
- Words are the smallest free-form units that can stand alone
- Sentences are sequences of words that express meaning
- Syntax governs the structure of phrases and sentences
- Language is continuously evolving, with new words and meanings constantly emerging
- Language use impacts cognitive processes, such as perception, memory, and categorization
- Bilingualism—learning two or more languages—has associated affects and may lead to better executive control
- The "Whorfian hypothesis" suggests language shapes thought, although this is considered too extreme
- Children exhibit a sensitivity to statistical regularities in language at a very young age
- Language processing involves the integration of sounds into meaning through processes like segmentation and co-articulation
- Categorical perception and top-down processing are aids to speech perception that allow for filling in of missing information
- There is a phonemic restoration effect in the brain which allows the brain to fill in missing information relating to the phonemes/sounds that are expected
- Language is like a living organism that evolves and is comprised of other sublevels
Language Organisation
- Language is hierarchically organized
- This means that each level of language is composed of lower levels.
- Each level comprises simpler units that build up to the next level
- Levels of organization include sentences down to the final elements, phonemes
Types of Language Errors
- Broca's Aphasia causes problems with language production, involving a region in the left frontal lobe
- Wernicke's Aphasia involves issues with language comprehension and is located in the left temporal/parietal region
Speech Complexity
- Speech is remarkably complex but speakers are incredibly good at perceiving it
- Segmentation: the brain separates sounds into distinct parts in order to interpret meaning
- Co-articulation: the blending of phonemes within a word (e.g. saying "talk" where the 't' sound overlaps with the 'a')
- This is due to the 'cursive nature' of speech
Overcoming Speech Complexity
- Speech segmentation is the process of slicing a stream of speech into its distinct parts
- Top-down processing: using prior knowledge to predict and fill in missing information in speech
- Categorical perception involves categorizing sounds into discrete categories rather than perceiving a continuum of speech sounds
Aids to Speech Perception
- Phonemic restoration effect: The brain automatically fills in missing sounds to help with perception, especially when that sound is expected, even when the sound is just noise
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Description
Explore the intricate structure of language in this quiz. Learn about phonemes, morphemes, and how sentences convey meaning. Delve into theories such as bilingualism and the Whorfian hypothesis that link language to cognitive processes.
