University:
Amherst College
Course:
ENGL 111 | Introduction to Academic Writing: The Right to Read and Write
Academic year:

2024
Views:

89

Pages:

21
Author:

baturukam9c

Language ________________________________________ 1) Distinguish between language and communication. 2) Discuss the hierarchical structure of language. 3) Examine a variety of approaches aimed at understanding and predicting linguistic behavior: • Speech perception • Speech production • Syntax • Chomsky’s Tranformational Grammar • Pragmatics 4) Re-visit the nature vs. nurture debate as it related to language learning. 5) Examine data on language learning by non-human primates. Language __________________________________________ Language is very difficult to put into words. ~ Voltaire Language is… • a system of symbols that individuals use to • a rule-governed use • a shared symbolic system Language is not • synonymous with 3 Universal Truths and 7 Critical Features __________________________________________ Universal truths: 1. Universal 2. 1st Language learning 3. Infants distinguish phonemes ________________________________________ Critical features of Language 1. Semanticity / communicativity 2. Productivity/generativity 3. Arbitrariness 4. Structure 5. Displacement 6. Dynamic 7. Traditional Transmission Building Blocks of Language __________________________________________ 1) Phoneme • categorical • change 2) Morpheme • smallest unit of • content vs. function o 3) Words • contentives and functors 4) Parts of speech 5) Phrase • 6) Sentence • Positive vs. negative • True vs. false 7) Discourse • Language utterance can be analyzed at any of these levels. __________________________________________ “My friend Pete stole the little boy's rocks and put them under his towel.” “My friend Pete stole the little boy's towels and put them under his rock.” Phonology Phonemes Morpheme - Syntax Words Parts of speech Phrase - Semantics Sentence - Pragmatics Discourse - Phonology / Speech Perception __________________________________________ Size of phoneme set: English Hawaiian African languages Phonology – rules for combining phonemes Co-articulation • phonemes are • telephone operator • Monk Email • Problem of invariance Allophones • slightly different articulations • "Please put the paper cup to your lip" • foreign language perception • regional differences in English Speech perception IS different ______________________________________________ EXTREME fluency • 50 phonemes/second; Categorical Perception • /ba/ vs. /pa/ o Voice Onset Time – pit vs. bit • McGurk Effect Speech perception IS NOT different ______________________________________________ Categorical perception of non-speech stimuli • Time perception – • Color • Emotional expressions Context effects • phonemic restoration effect • phonemic refinement (Deutsch demo) • REM effect ______________________________________________ Compromise position: modularity Syntax – the study of grammar __________________________________________ Prescriptive grammar – what your HS English teacher Descriptive grammar – the rules that govern ______________________________________________ Which of these sentences use proper English syntax? 1. The students bought the book. 2. Bought the book. 3. Bought the student the book. 4. The book was bought by the student. 5. By whom was the book bought? 6. By student the book bought. 7. The student was bought by the book. 8. Who bought the book? 9. The book bought the student. 10. The book bought. ______________________________________________ Jabberwocky 'Twas brillig and the slithy toves did gyre and gimble in the wabe. Syntax and semantics ______________________________________________ Semantics – Speech errors • in-class confusions, Right- and left-branching languages He bought the book at the store. vs. Lexical entries include syntactic information 1) Objects have different roles a. Agent doer of an action b. Patient receiver of an action c. Beneficiary indirect recipient of an action d. Instrument means used to implement it e. Location where it happens f. Source where it starts g. Goal where it ends EX: Whorfian Hypothesis / Linguistic Relativity __________________________________________ Strong Version – language Weaker Version – language thought thought. Data tossed around as evidence: • Eskimos have 100 different words • Cross-cultural differences in color words • “There are 53 people on board the boat but only enough lifeboats for 36.” o Easy to express in English, • Marked/Unmarked terms o In English: o In German: • Issues of translation Syntax and semantics: Confusion reigns __________________________________________ The horse raced past the barn fell. • The florist sent the flowers was very pleased. • The old train the young. • ______________________________________________ Garden path sentences Chomsky's Transformational Grammar __________________________________________ Shallow Structure – Deep Structure – Why is the distinction important? Word order makes a difference The French bottle smells good. vs. Shallow structures are often ambiguous • I saw a man eating fish. • The spy saw the cop with binoculars. • The Mayor ordered the police to stop drinking. • Librarian: Shh!! The people around you can't read. o Student: Do we ever remember the shallow structure? __________________________________________ Jokes, personal statements, and insults Why? Rhythmic speech • Rubin (1977) comparison of memory for • Why? o Rhythmic structure gives you an opportunity Song lyrics and counting-rhymes • Memory for sung vs. spoken text • Eenie Meenie Minie Mo • Why? o Integrated levels of multiple constraints Friend of the Devil I've got two reasons why I cry away each lonely night, The first one's named Sweet Anne Marie and she's my heart's __________________. The second one is prison babe, and the Sheriff's on my trail, And if he catches up with me I'm gonna spend my life in ______________________. Pragmatics: Situational Factors control what we say _________________________________________ Surface structure changes dramatically (and spontaneously) depending on the audience’s 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) The musicality of speech • Prosody – pitch variations • Cadence – the timing of Both have implications for meaning Language learning: Nature vs. Nurture __________________________________________ Nurture 1) Imitation • However, never would hear • Babbling closely 2) Learn a set of rules • What is the plural of "wuk"? • What is the plural of "wug"? 3) Behaviorist Account • rewarded for making sounds • However, not good at explaining grammar 1) mothers correct errors of fact 2) generalize to novel situations 3) children generate/understand novel utterances Saffran, Aslin, & Newport (1996) ______________________________________________ Theoretical Question: Empirical Question: Intro: • Why is language segmentation a difficult problem? • What are transitional probabilities? Method: • Why did they used synthesized speech? • Words: tupiro/golabu/bidaku/padoti • E1 Test: tupiro vs. dapiku • E2 test: tupiro vs. rogala or bubida Results: • Listened longer to • Listened longer to Implications: • Infants are sophisticated • Innately tuned • Better with foreign language than nonsense Nature __________________________________________ 1) Cultural Universals • Progress very similar 2) Cooing • sounds the same across • deaf children 3) Infant phoneme recognition • Through at least 6 months, all phonemes are distinguishable o Japanese kids lose o English kids lose 4) Subject-Verb-Object Order • OVS and OSV Critical Periods in Language Learning ______________________________________________ Definition • Plasticity confined to • Learning is EX: o children raised by wolves o 2nd language learning ▪ o early vs. late learners of o Genie Why do sensitive periods occur? 1. By-product of specialization • Cortical areas respond • Slowly become • When specialization is complete EX: Raising animals Natural Language in Non-humans __________________________________________ Semanticity • Chimps make different sounds Flexibility • Animal communication Limited Scope • No signal for Displacement and Productivity “Let me tell you about the snake I saw yesterday” “Whew, glad that wasn’t an eagle” “No eagles anywhere in sight” Language Learning by non-humans __________________________________________ Talk about a contentious debate... Speech absolutely not! Sign Language What Washoe could do: 1) By age 1, she could combine signs "more fruit" "open out please hurry" 2) By age 4, she understood 160 signs 3) Creative use of language • Gardners called refridge "cold box" • Washoe called it "open food drink" What Washoe could not do: 1) By age 4, a child knows 20x as many words 2) Utterances never average more than 1-2 morphemes; child by age 3 averages 4 morphemes per utterance 3) Elementary Constructions

The Nature of Language: A Comprehensive Exploration

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