Deck 4: Language Acquisition: Models

Question 1

When Lois Bloom noticed that a child said, "Mommy sock" to indicate two different meanings, this was seen as support for the idea that:

A) there is a Language Acquisition Device.
B) children learn language by imitation.
C) syntax (structure) precedes semantics (meaning) in language development.
D) meaning (semantics) precedes structure (syntax) in language development.

Answer 1

meaning (semantics) precedes structure (syntax) in language development.

Question 2

Which of the following statements is true of the information processing theory of language acquisition:

A) language is processed primarily in a step-by-step manner
B) children are passive recipients of incoming information.
C) many levels of learning take place simultaneously.
D) attention is unlimited in humans.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

According to the behavioral theory of language acquisition, children learn language by imitating what they hear and being reinforced for language production.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

What evidence from the observation of language development in children supports the linguistic (nativist) theory of language acquisition?

Question 5

What is fast-mapping? How have theorists used this concept to account for learning of vocabulary?

Question 6

A type of information processing in which several levels of analysis are occurring at the same time is called ____________________ ________________________.

Question 7

Parent's simplification of their language when talking to their young child is called ______________.

Question 8

According to behavioral theory, if ____________ occurs, the child is likely to produce the language behavior again.

Question 9

The "emergentist" model of language acquisition claims that language emerges primarily from:

A) Interaction with parents and siblings.
B) The "language acquisition device"
C) The interaction of neural networks
D) The development of cognitive processes such as object permanence

Question 10

Language Acquisition Device (LAD) contains rules for only the particular language that the child will learn to speak.

Question 11

According to this theory of language acquisition, children learn to talk by imitating the language of their parents who, in turn, reinforce the language of their child.

A) Behaviorist
B) Cognitive-semantic
C) Linguistic
D) Instrumental

Question 12

According to the Pragmatic-Interactionist model of language acquisition, when parents alter their language for their young child they slow down the child's rate of language development.

Question 13

Contrast the behavioral model of language acquisition to the linguistic (nativist) model in terms of their implications for language intervention.

Question 14

According to the pragmatic-Interactionist model, the motivation for language use and acquisition is:

A) imitation and reinforcement.
B) communication with other people.
C) fear of punishment.
D) semantic rules.