Questions and Answers
What is language?
What is a phoneme?
A basic unit of sound.
What is a morpheme?
The smallest unit of language that carries meaning.
What is syntax?
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What does semantics refer to?
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What is pragmatics?
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What is prosody?
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What is word segmentation?
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What is a pidgin?
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What is a creole?
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What does over-regularization mean?
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What is motherese or child-directed speech?
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What is the Language Acquisition Device (LAD)?
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What is universal grammar?
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What are the brain areas associated with language?
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What is aphasia?
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Who is Noam Chomsky?
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Study Notes
Language
- A communication system combining signals (sounds or letters) under specific rules to generate limitless messages.
Phoneme
- The fundamental unit of sound in language, analogous to single letters in the alphabet.
Morpheme
- The smallest meaningful unit of language, examples include prefixes, suffixes, and stand-alone words.
Syntax
- The system of rules governing the order of words in sentences and phrases, essential for sentence construction.
Semantics
- The study of meaning in language, involving the relationship between words and their meanings; crucial for understanding sentences and paragraphs.
Pragmatics
- The rules that dictate how language is used appropriately in context, influencing effective communication.
Prosody
- The production and patterns of sounds, including pitch, tone, and rhythm in spoken language.
Word Segmentation
- The ability to recognize individual words within continuous speech, rather than perceiving speech as one long word.
Pidgin
- A simplified language that emerges from combining elements of separate languages for practical communication; lacks grammar and consistent word order.
Creole
- A fully developed language with grammar, created by children who grow up in a pidgin-speaking environment; represents a unique fusion of languages.
Over-Regularization
- A linguistic phenomenon where grammatical rules are incorrectly applied to irregular forms, such as using "foots" instead of "feet."
Motherese/Child Directed Speech
- The modified speech used by adults when communicating with young children, characterized by exaggerated intonation and simplified vocabulary.
Language Acquisition Device (LAD)
- A theoretical construct in the brain that processes language input, applies universal grammar rules, and adapts to the specific language being learned.
Universal Grammar
- A theoretical framework proposing that all human languages share common structural principles, facilitating language acquisition.
Brain Areas for Language
- Key regions involved in language processing include Broca's area (speech production) and Wernicke's area (language comprehension), primarily located in the left hemisphere.
Aphasia
- A language disorder resulting from brain damage, leading to an inability to vocally reproduce spoken information.
Noam Chomsky
- A linguist who introduced the idea that humans possess an innate capacity for language learning and the concept of universal grammar.
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Description
Test your knowledge of key language concepts in psychology with this engaging quiz. Explore definitions of language, phonemes, and morphemes to deepen your understanding of communication systems. Perfect for psychology students and enthusiasts alike!
