Overregularization in Language Development

Study Notes

Overregularization

Irregular stems do not follow standard grammatical inflection rules.
Stems can be categorized as either regular or irregular.

Examples of Irregular Forms

English has notable irregular nouns (mouse/mice), verbs (go/went/gone), and adjectives (good/better/best).

Overregularization Errors

Occur when children incorrectly apply morphological rules to irregular forms (e.g., "goed" instead of "went").
This phenomenon illustrates developmental patterns in language acquisition.

U-Shaped Learning

Children initially produce few inflected forms.
They quickly gain proficiency in frequent irregular forms (e.g., went, was).
As they learn inflections, they may err with overregularization despite having used correct forms earlier.
Eventually, they learn to recognize exceptions, indicating progression through U-shaped learning curves.

Dual Route Model

Proposes two methods for producing plural and past tense inflections in English.
First method involves retrievement of the correct form from memory, crucial for irregular forms.
Second method applies grammatical rules for generating regular inflected forms, which children learn progressively.

Errors According to Dual Route Model

Overregularization errors happen because fast-learning default rules compete with irregular forms, which require individual memorization.
Children may forget a known irregular form, particularly with low-frequency verbs.

Evidence Supporting Dual Route Model

Analysis showed that children begin making overregularization errors as they start applying the regular past tense ending.
Errors were more common with low-frequency verbs.

Limitations of Dual Route Model

Cross-linguistic data challenges the model's predictions about default rules.
Observational data from various languages reveals inconsistent application of single default rules.

Issues with Default Rules

Model assumes children globally seek one default inflection but they frequently use multiple endings for overregularization.
Studies show children, including German-speaking ones, tend to overgeneralize various endings.

Problem with Error Rates

Initial reports indicated low overall error rates, especially when averaged across verbs.
Individual verbs sometimes show high error rates, contradicting the model's predictions.

Phonological Friends Issue

The model posits that children might analogically generate irregular forms based on phonologically similar past tense forms.
Evidence contradicts this as it doesn't explain why such errors occur more frequently with regular verbs.

Single Route Model

Asserts all past tense forms are stored as lexical entries with retrieval prioritized for direct access.
If retrieval fails, forms can be created through analogy, similar to phonological friends.

Evidence for Single Route Model

Closely linked vocabulary and overregularization errors support this model.
Key studies show children begin making errors once their verb repertoire reaches a certain level.

Computer Models in Research

Rumelhart and McClelland demonstrated that a computer model could learn past tense forms without relying on grammatical rules.
The model's findings are relevant, but it received both positive and negative feedback, unlike real children.

Criticism of Rumelhart and McClelland Model

Critics argue that the model unfairly varied input during developmental stages.
The model fails to predict minority default behaviors found in various languages.
It struggles with homophones, highlighting a deeper complexity in language processing.

Description

This quiz explores the concept of overregularization in language acquisition, particularly how children apply morphological rules to irregular stems. It also examines the dual route and single route models of past tense formation, highlighting the learning process in children as they master irregular forms. Test your understanding of these key linguistic concepts!

Overregularization in Language Development

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Questions and Answers

What is meant by (overregularization)?

What occurs when morphological rules are incorrectly applied to irregular stems?

What forms do children initially not produce many of?

What type of learning is described by children initially mastering irregular forms and then making overregularization errors?

What does the dual route model propose?

The single route model posits that all past tense forms are stored as lexical entries.

What is the issue the dual route model faces when considering error rates?

Which criticism did Pinker and Prince have regarding Rumelhart and McClelland's model?

What are phonological friends in the context of language acquisition?