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Study guide: Pages 77-81 in Chapter 3 "Evolution, Genes, and
Behavior," pages 341-347 in Chapter 9 "Thinking and Intelligence,"
pages 512-514 in Chapter 14 "Development Over the Life Span,"
and related classes
Facts and concepts to understand
- What are the defining properties of human language?
- How is language different from other forms of communication?
- What evidence supports the idea that humans have an innate capacity
for
language?
- How does language influence thought?
- How does a child's environment influence language development?
- What evidence supports the idea that there is a critical period for
language development?
- Stages of language development in humans-- their characteristics and
ages at which they occur
- How does babbling change over time?
- How easily do young children learn new words?
- Why does Noam Chomsky believe humans have a language acquisition device?
Areas of the brain involved in language
Terms
- meaningfulness
- displacement
- creativity/productivity
- structure/grammar
- language acquisition device
- Noam Chomsky
- babbling
- naming explosion
- overgeneralization, undergeneralization
- telegraphic speech
- critical period
- symbolic gestures
NOTE: Unless the class appears to be doing poorly on the animal language
assignment, the assignment will be an adequate test of your understanding
of animal language research and the following material will NOT be on
the exam:
- communication and language in animals other than humans
- attempts to teach language to apes, dolphins, etc.
- American Sign Language
- Yerkish
- Vicki
- Washoe
- Nim Chimpsky
- Kanzi
- Koko
- Chantek
- Alex
- Akaeakamai & Phoenix
- Keeli, Ivy, Bob
- controversy about whether or not these animals have actually
demonstrated language
- potential flaws in animal language research
- arguments that these animals are using language
- arguments that these animals are not really using language
- Clever Hans
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