Input and Biology PDF

Input and Biology The main idea is that the child comes into the world “wired” to learn language and to pay attention to particular aspects of the linguistic input. This wiring can help us to understand the developmental course of children acquiring language. So what would happen if the input was no...

Input and Biology The main idea is that the child comes into the world “wired” to learn language and to pay attention to particular aspects of the linguistic input. This wiring can help us to understand the developmental course of children acquiring language. So what would happen if the input was not available to the child? 16 Input and Biology In other species, input is crucial for certain abilities to develop. • The chaffinch is “wired” to learn its specific birdsong. But if the bird is not exposed to any input within the first 10 months of its life, it will never learn its song to native-like levels. 17 Critical Period in other species • Imprinting in greylag geese (Lorenz, 1965): ducklings become attached (within hours) to the first moving object that they see. But the attachment needs to occur within a critical time frame. A Critical Period for Language? So is the development of language similar to the development of innate abilities in other species? 19 The Critical Period Hypothesis One hypothesis states that language learning in children has important similarities to the acquisition of birdsong and imprinting in geese. All are innate abilities that require external input for further development; all are also subject to a critical period. 20