Chapter 9: Psycholinguistics
Psycholinguistics is the study of how language is acquired, produced, comprehended, and represented in the brain. It bridges linguistics, psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science to understand the mental processes behind language use.
9.1 Language Acquisition
Language acquisition refers to how humans learn language, especially the natural process children undergo when learning their first language (L1), as well as how second languages (L2) are acquired.
9.1.1 First Language Acquisition (L1)
- Natural Process: Most children acquire their native language naturally without formal instruction.
- Stages of L1 Acquisition:
- Pre-linguistic Stage (0-12 months): Babies experiment with sounds (cooing, babbling).
- One-word Stage (around 12 months): Children begin using single words (holophrases) to express entire ideas.
- Two-word Stage (18-24 months): Children start combining two words to form simple sentences.
- Telegraphic Stage: Simple sentences lacking function words (e.g., “want juice”).
- Later Multi-word Stage: More complex sentences, grammar, and vocabulary develop.
- Universal Grammar (Chomsky): Suggests humans have an innate language faculty, enabling children to acquire any language.
- Critical Period Hypothesis: There is an optimal window (early childhood) for natural language acquisition.
9.1.2 Second Language Acquisition (L2)
- Differences from L1: L2 learning often involves formal instruction and may be influenced by the learner’s first language.
- Stages: Similar to L1, but influenced by age, exposure, motivation, and cognitive factors.
- Interlanguage: Learners create a mental language system blending L1 and L2 features.
- Fossilization: Some incorrect forms may become permanent.
- Factors Influencing L2 Acquisition:
- Age of acquisition
- Amount of exposure
- Motivation and attitude
- Similarity between L1 and L2
- Social context and interaction
9.2 Language Processing and Production
Psycholinguistics studies how people understand (comprehend) and produce language in real time.
9.2.1 Language Comprehension
- Involves decoding sounds or written words into meaningful language.
- Speech perception: Recognizing phonemes and mapping sounds to words.
- Parsing: Analyzing sentence structure to understand meaning.
- Contextual understanding: Using knowledge of context and world to interpret language.
9.2.2 Language Production
- Involves planning and executing speech or writing.
- Stages of production:
- Conceptualization: Deciding what to say.
- Formulation: Selecting words and grammatical structures.
- Articulation: Physically producing sounds or writing.
- Speech errors (slips of the tongue): Provide insight into how language is produced and planned.
9.3 Neurolinguistics Basics (Brain and Language)
Neurolinguistics examines how language functions are represented in the brain.
9.3.1 Brain Areas Involved in Language
- Broca’s Area: Located in the left frontal lobe; associated with speech production and grammar.
- Wernicke’s Area: Located in the left temporal lobe; linked to language comprehension.
- Angular Gyrus: Involved in reading and writing.
- Arcuate Fasciculus: Connects Broca’s and Wernicke’s areas, important for language processing.
9.3.2 Aphasia
- Language disorders caused by brain damage.
- Broca’s aphasia: Difficulty producing speech; comprehension relatively preserved.
- Wernicke’s aphasia: Fluent but nonsensical speech; poor comprehension.
- Global aphasia: Severe impairment in both production and comprehension.
9.3.3 Laterality and Language
- Most right-handed people process language primarily in the left hemisphere.
- Some left-handed people and others may have more bilateral or right hemisphere language dominance.
9.3.4 Methods of Study in Neurolinguistics
- Neuroimaging (fMRI, PET): Visualizing brain activity during language tasks.
- Electrophysiology (EEG, ERP): Measuring electrical brain responses to language stimuli.
- Lesion studies: Studying language deficits following brain injury.
Summary
|
Topic |
Key Points |
|
Language Acquisition (L1) |
Natural, stages: pre-linguistic, one-word, telegraphic |
|
Language Acquisition (L2) |
Influenced by age, exposure, interlanguage, fossilization |
|
Language Processing |
Comprehension (speech perception, parsing) and production (conceptualization, formulation, articulation) |
|
Neurolinguistics |
Broca’s & Wernicke’s areas, aphasia types, brain laterality |
No comments:
Post a Comment