Podcast
Questions and Answers
What significant change occurred in Nicaragua in 1979 for deaf children?
What significant change occurred in Nicaragua in 1979 for deaf children?
- They were introduced to sign language instruction in their homes.
- They were encouraged to remain isolated from one another.
- They were required to use spoken language exclusively.
- New schools for the deaf were established. (correct)
Sign languages lack the grammatical structures found in spoken languages.
Sign languages lack the grammatical structures found in spoken languages.
False (B)
What term is used to describe the initial sign system invented by the children at the schools?
What term is used to describe the initial sign system invented by the children at the schools?
pidgin
Many linguists believe that established languages may have evolved from __________.
Many linguists believe that established languages may have evolved from __________.
Match the terms with their definitions:
Match the terms with their definitions:
What is one way grammatical complexity is demonstrated in languages?
What is one way grammatical complexity is demonstrated in languages?
All languages inherently lack complex grammatical systems.
All languages inherently lack complex grammatical systems.
What term is used for complex grammar systems that evolve from pidgins?
What term is used for complex grammar systems that evolve from pidgins?
A language that emerges when children adapt a pidgin is known as a __________.
A language that emerges when children adapt a pidgin is known as a __________.
Match the following terms with their definitions:
Match the following terms with their definitions:
How did the pidgin language typically function among enslaved people?
How did the pidgin language typically function among enslaved people?
Children can play a vital role in developing a pidgin into a complex language.
Children can play a vital role in developing a pidgin into a complex language.
What is required for someone to observe the creation of a language?
What is required for someone to observe the creation of a language?
Flashcards
Sign Language Grammar
Sign Language Grammar
Sign languages use the same grammatical rules as spoken languages, not just gestures.
Nicaraguan Sign Language
Nicaraguan Sign Language
A new sign language created by deaf children in a Nicaraguan school in 1979, demonstrating language creation.
Pidgin
Pidgin
A simplified language that develops when people who don't share a common language need to communicate.
Creole
Creole
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Innate Grammar
Innate Grammar
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Grammar Complexity
Grammar Complexity
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Universal Grammar
Universal Grammar
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Pidgin
Pidgin
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Creole
Creole
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Slave Trade & Language
Slave Trade & Language
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Pidgin Creation
Pidgin Creation
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Complex Language Creation
Complex Language Creation
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How Grammar is created
How Grammar is created
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Study Notes
Grammar Creation
- Grammar is universal, found in all languages, even "primitive" ones.
- The complexity of grammar allows for nuanced communication, including turning statements into questions, expressing past/future actions, etc., and distinguishing different social relationships (e.g., "you and I," "several other people and I").
- The question of who creates grammar is challenging because language development is often observed in retrospect.
- However, observing language creation from scratch is possible, studying pidgins and creoles.
Pidgins and Creoles
- Pidgins are rudimentary languages developed in situations where speakers of different languages need to communicate, often in forced contexts.
- They are characterized by a lack of complex grammar, relying on simple word strings.
- Circumlocution is necessary to express nuanced meanings due to the limited grammar.
- Creoles emerge when a pidgin's use is adopted by children as their primary language. Children don't just copy, they adapt and develop complex grammatical structures – making them the creators in this case.
Sign Languages and Language Creation
- Sign languages are grammatical, using systems similar to spoken languages.
- Evidence of creole language creation is observed in sign languages;
- The development of a sign language in Nicaragua provides evidence. Deaf children initially communicated using a pidgin sign system. Later arrivals built on this, developing a more sophisticated and structured sign language (a creole).
- This shows that children have innate grammatical mechanisms activating when attempting to interpret their environment.
Implications for Established Languages
- Some linguists suggest that many established languages may have originated as creoles.
- The English past tense (-ed) might be an evolution from the verb "do" (e.g., "It end-did").
- Children, therefore, appear to play a crucial role in language evolution since they can create complex grammar systems, even with the lack of existing grammar.
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