PSY 001 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Language Acquisition Device, Noam Chomsky, Babbling

• School: College of The Sequoias
• Department: Psychology (PSY)
• Course: PSY 001
• Professor: Nikkel

Document Summary

Receptive language: infant ability to understand what is said to them around 4 months. We know 4 months by eye tracking mommy infants of 4 mos. Production language: infant ability to produce words begins around 10 months. We seem to have inborn (genetic) talent for acquiring language, though no particular kind of language is in genes. Born with genetic material that makes language learning easy. We have this genetic material but no other species does. Noam chomsky say we have a language acquisition device in brain that helps us learn language. Seem to have statistical pattern recognition talent. Infants quickly recognize patterns in syllable frequency and sequence, preparing them to later learn words and syntax. Even in womb, we hear words and pick up on patterns. Critical period: suggests childhood represents critical period for mastering certain aspects of language. People who learn a 2nd language as adults usually speak it w accent of their native.