PSYCO105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Noam Chomsky, Deep Structure And Surface Structure, Categorical Logic
1 May 2018
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Chapter 9: Language
Language
❏Key as it is used to transfer mental representations, internal cognitive symbols that represents external
reality.
❏System of symbols/rules to generate infinite number of possible messages
1. Important to thought
2. Is unique → all noral humans speak, no nonhuman animal does alone.
3. Is natural → Children learn a language w/o formal lessons
4. Convey meaning → Help us learn about other people’s thoughts.
A Language Learning Experience
❏Different languages have different sounds of letters.
❏Grammar is different in different languages → the order of the words may differ.
The Properties of Language
1. Symbolic → Use of sounds, signs and gestures to express ourselves, which allows forming and transferring
mental representations through words.
2. Structured → Rules are often called grammar, there is an order to a way a sentence is structured.
a. “My name is ___” not “My name ___ is”.
3. Generativity → Symbols can be combined to generate infinite number of messages that can have novel
meanings.
a. Unlimited amount of words based on system.
i. “Happy, Happiness, Prehappiness, postformalhappiness”
b. Unlimited amount of Sentences
i. “What are you doing” or “What are you going on this day?”
4. Displacement → Languages allow us to communicate about events or objects that are not physically
present.
a. Past, Current, future or imagination.
5. Meaning → Creates an implication that helps others understand the situation, and adjust actions based on
the conveyed meaning.
The Structure of Languages
1. Surface Structures → consist of symbols that are used and their order.
a. (A) I am a great softball player, (B) I am a great softball player, (C)I am great at playing softball.
i. A and B have same surface structure, while B and C have different surface structure
despite having the same meanings.
ii. Meaning is the same, but wording is different.
2. Deep Structure → Involves underlying meaning of combined symbols.
a. (A) I am a great softball player, (B) I am a great softball player, (C)I am great at playing softball.
i. A and B have different deep structure
ii. B and C have same deep structure.
Biological Predispositions - Acquiring Language
❏Noam Chomsky proposed that people are born with language Acquisition device (LAD) → an innate
biological mechanism that generates language.
❏Evidence;
1. Children master language without formal instructions.
2. Children pickup language early;
a. Infants (1-3 months) vocalize entire range of phonemes.
b. 6-12 months discriminate sound specific to native language.
i. Example; L versus R (Japanese-speaking versus English-Speaking)
Social Learning Processes
❏Bruner proposed the term Language Acquisition Support System (LASS) → Represent factors in social
environment that support language learning.
Document Summary
Key as it is used to transfer mental representations, internal cognitive symbols that represents external reality. System of symbols/rules to generate infinite number of possible messages. 3: convey meaning help us learn about other people"s thoughts. Is unique all noral humans speak, no nonhuman animal does alone. Is natural children learn a language w/o formal lessons. Different languages have different sounds of letters. Grammar is different in different languages the order of the words may differ. My name is ___ not my name ___ is : generativity symbols can be combined to generate infinite number of messages that can have novel meanings, unlimited amount of words based on system. i. Happy, happiness, prehappiness, postformalhappiness : unlimited amount of sentences i. A and b have same surface structure, while b and c have different surface structure despite having the same meanings. Noam chomsky proposed that people are born with language acquisition device (lad) an innate biological mechanism that generates language.
