First Language Acquisition: Inherent Difficulty of Language - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

First Language Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Course Readings Imitation vs. Rule Creation First Language Acquisition: Inherent Difficulty of Language Acquisition Theories and Evidence Universal Grammar and Language Acquisition Summary

First Language Course Readings Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Course Readings Imitation vs. Rule Creation Inherent Difficulty of Language The following readings have been posted to the Moodle Acquisition course site: Universal Grammar and Language ◮ Contemporary Linguistics: Chapter 10 (pp. 378-385) Acquisition ◮ Language Instinct: Chapter 9 Summary

First Language The Big Picture, Once Again Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Course Readings The Fundamental Question: Imitation vs. Rule What are the rules and mental representations that Creation underlie our ability to speak and understand a language? Inherent Difficulty of Language Acquisition Universal Grammar and Language Acquisition Summary

First Language The Big Picture, Once Again Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Course Readings The Fundamental Question: Imitation vs. Rule What are the rules and mental representations that Creation underlie our ability to speak and understand a language? Inherent Difficulty of Language Acquisition Another Fundamental Question: Universal Grammar and How does a child learn this system of rules and mental Language Acquisition representations ? Summary A Key Insight (Noam Chomsky; 1950s): This is a deep mystery of human biological development ◮ How does a brain go from not having language (newborn) to having one (six year old)?

First Language Language Acquisition and ‘Imitation’ Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Course Readings Imitation vs. Rule Creation A ‘Common Sense’ Answer: Inherent Difficulty of Language Kids learn language by imitating the people around them (duh) Acquisition Universal Grammar and Language Acquisition Summary

First Language Language Acquisition and ‘Imitation’ Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Course Readings Imitation vs. Rule Creation A ‘Common Sense’ Answer: Inherent Difficulty of Language Kids learn language by imitating the people around them (duh) Acquisition Universal Grammar and Language The Truth: Acquisition ◮ Although ‘imitation’ is involved in language acquisition... Summary ◮ There is a lot more to it than just imitation...

First Language Language Acquisition is Not Just ‘Imitation’ Acquisition: Theories and Evidence First Key Fact: Children say things that they’ve never heard before. Course Readings ◮ Children make ‘mistakes’ all the time: Imitation vs. Rule Creation ‘goed’ [gowd] Inherent Difficulty ‘leafes’ [lif1z] of Language Acquisition ◮ These ‘mistakes’ are not random ‘sloppiness’. Universal Rather, kids are over-applying a rule of the language: Grammar and Language Acquisition ◮ /-d/ as past-tense on ‘go’ (instead of ‘went’) ◮ /-z/ → [-1z] / C fricative Summary (instead of ‘stridents’)

First Language Language Acquisition is Not Just ‘Imitation’ Acquisition: Theories and Evidence First Key Fact: Children say things that they’ve never heard before. Course Readings ◮ Children make ‘mistakes’ all the time: Imitation vs. Rule Creation ‘goed’ [gowd] Inherent Difficulty ‘leafes’ [lif1z] of Language Acquisition ◮ These ‘mistakes’ are not random ‘sloppiness’. Universal Rather, kids are over-applying a rule of the language: Grammar and Language Acquisition ◮ /-d/ as past-tense on ‘go’ (instead of ‘went’) ◮ /-z/ → [-1z] / C fricative Summary (instead of ‘stridents’) Conclusion: ◮ Kids aren’t just ‘imitating’ / ‘copying’ what they hear. ◮ Instead, they are hypothesizing rules ◮ Like linguists, they make a guess (sometimes wrong) ◮ They adjust their hypothesized rules until they’re right.

First Language Language Acquisition is Not Just ‘Imitation’ Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Second Key Fact: ‘Competence (knowledge) Precedes Performance’ Course Readings ◮ Kids understand things long before they can say them. Imitation vs. Rule Creation Inherent Difficulty of Language Acquisition Universal Grammar and Language Acquisition Summary

First Language Language Acquisition is Not Just ‘Imitation’ Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Second Key Fact: ‘Competence (knowledge) Precedes Performance’ Course Readings ◮ Kids understand things long before they can say them. Imitation vs. Rule Creation Inherent Difficulty An Example from Phonology: of Language Acquisition Kids hear phonemic distinctions they can’t actually produce. Universal ◮ Kids hear the difference b/t [S] and [s] before they can say it: Grammar and Language ◮ Kid: Gimme fis! [fIs] Acquisition ◮ Dad: Is this your fis? [fIs] Summary ◮ Kid: No! It’s my FIS! [fIs]

First Language Language Acquisition is Not Just ‘Imitation’ Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Second Key Fact: ‘Competence (knowledge) Precedes Performance’ Course Readings ◮ Kids understand things long before they can say them. Imitation vs. Rule Creation Inherent Difficulty An Example from Phonology: of Language Acquisition Kids hear phonemic distinctions they can’t actually produce. Universal ◮ Kids hear the difference b/t [S] and [s] before they can say it: Grammar and Language ◮ Kid: Gimme fis! [fIs] Acquisition ◮ Dad: Is this your fis? [fIs] Summary ◮ Kid: No! It’s my FIS! [fIs] An Example from Syntax and Morphology: ◮ Some children can’t speak due to physical diability ◮ When tested, these mute kids show (essentially) normal levels of comprehension (Stromswold 1994).

First Language Language Acquisition and Rules Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Course Readings Major Conclusion: Imitation vs. Rule Creation Language acquisition is a lot more than just ‘imitation’. Inherent Difficulty of Language Acquisition ◮ Acquiring a first language involves the creation of rules Universal Grammar and ◮ Children hypothesize rules Language Acquisition ◮ Over time, they adjust them to match adults. Summary ◮ Kids acquire rules without actually using/practicing them . ◮ Kids’ linguistic knowledge outpaces their speaking ability ◮ Mute children learn first language without ever using it

First Language Factors Complicating Language Acquisition Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Course Readings Imitation vs. Rule Creation Inherent Difficulty of Language Acquisition ◮ If it weren’t already amazing that kids below 4 do all this... Complexity of Rules No Teaching or Correction No Word Boundaries Completion in Six Years ◮ Various factors make language acquisition really hard . Universal Grammar and Language Acquisition Summary

First Language Factor One: Rules are Complex Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Course Readings First Complicating Factor: Imitation vs. Rule The rule system they’re trying to learn is incredibly complex. Creation Inherent Difficulty ◮ Just some of the English rules we’ve seen... of Language Acquisition ◮ Syllabification Algorithm Complexity of Rules No Teaching or Correction ◮ Allophonic Rules (e.g. Aspiration, V-length) No Word Boundaries Completion in Six Years ◮ Morphophonemic Rules (e.g. /d/ → [t], etc. ) Universal ◮ Morphological Rules Grammar and (Right Hand Head Rule; ‘Freakin’-Infixation) Language Acquisition ◮ Syntax Phrase Structure Rules Summary ◮ But, these rules barely scratch the surface... ◮ And, somehow, kids below 6 reliably figure out all the rules .

First Language Factors 2 & 3: No Teaching or Correction Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Course Readings Second Complicating Factor: Imitation vs. Rule Kids have to learn the rule system passively . Creation Inherent Difficulty ◮ Kids don’t get explicit, easily-digestible grammar lessons of Language Acquisition ◮ Instead, they have to figure it out entirely on their own . Complexity of Rules No Teaching or Correction No Word Boundaries Completion in Six Years Universal Grammar and Language Acquisition Summary

First Language Factors 2 & 3: No Teaching or Correction Acquisition: Theories and Evidence Course Readings Second Complicating Factor: Imitation vs. Rule Kids have to learn the rule system passively . Creation Inherent Difficulty ◮ Kids don’t get explicit, easily-digestible grammar lessons of Language Acquisition ◮ Instead, they have to figure it out entirely on their own . Complexity of Rules No Teaching or Correction No Word Boundaries Completion in Six Years Third Complicating Factor: Universal Grammar and Children don’t get reliable ‘negative feedback’ Language Acquisition ◮ Children’s errors aren’t reliably corrected (Lecture 2) Summary ◮ And, when they are, they ignore it anyway (Lecture 2) ◮ So how do they know when their hypothesis is wrong?