What is Language all about?

http://youtu.be/sDocL7AfIRo

What is Language?

Language is the method of human communication, either spoken, written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and conventional way.

What else is language?

Communication Interaction
Substantial variation Flow of speech Eye-contact (cultural) Body language (cultural) Reaction to audience

Is there a message always being conveyed?

The Origins of Language

Divine Source: God-given language, no exposure

needed

Many religions state that a god or divine being created language/languages

Natural Sound Theory: Bow-Wow Hypothesis,

Onomatopoeia

Primitive languages began when humans imitated sounds that they heard in nature

The Origins of Language

Physical Adaptation: Specialization of the human

Vocal Tract

The human body is specialized to produce speech. Other animals (specifically chimpanzees and apes) have similar bodily structures, but cannot speak. Only humans are specialized for speech.

Genetic Source: Innateness hypothesis

Humans are born with a special capacity for language genetically hard-wired into our brains. There may even be a language gene.

The Vocal Tract: How we speak

Lungs: Force air through the vocal tract Larynx: The voice box containing the vocal cords/folds which produce speech sounds Pharynx: A cavity which acts as a resonator, making sounds louder, clearer, and giving them greater range Mouth: (Oral cavity) can be opened and closed rapidly Tongue: Muscular speech organ used to shape sounds inside the oral cavity Lips: Flexibility allows for creation of sounds like p and b Teeth: Upright and firm allowing for creation of sounds like f and v

Chimp vs. Human:

Why we can speak but other primates cant.
Chimpanzee Human

The physical structure of the human body allows us to produce a wide variety of speech sounds. While chimpanzees and other primates have similar physical structures, they are arranged differently, in a manner not conducive to the production of speech sounds.

Language and the Brain Chapter 12 (Yule)

Neurolinguistics: The study of the relationship

between language and the brain Where is language production located inside the brain?
Medical

evidence shows that language is produced in specific brain locations: Brocas Area and Wernickes Area, both located in the brains left hemisphere

Brain injuries might cause or be directly related to:

Language-impairment,

including language production

and comprehension Conversation maintenance issues

Severe Brain Injury and Language

Phineas Gage (Cavendish, Vermont) - In 1848, a steel tamping rod (13 lbs., 1.25 diameter) exploded through his skull and his left frontal cortex. He physically recuperated and returned to work, his speech ability apparently unaltered. Therefore, the left-front part of the brain does NOT control speech.

Left Hemisphere: Parts of the brain that control speech

Brocas Area: Involved in the production of speech sounds Wernickes Area: Involved in the understanding of speech Motor Cortex: Controls the movement of muscles, including those of the face, jaw, tongue, and larynx Arcuate Fasciculus: Connects Wernickes Area to Brocas Area
-A reduction in both size and activity in the arcuate fasciculus has been linked to dyslexia. http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/brainscans-may-help-diagnose-dyslexia0813.html

Brain surgery and language

http://youtu.be/241IFiPKR2o

Speech Phenomenon: Tip of the Tongue

This dog of yours is not very whats the word Im looking for? He doesnt think about other people before he does something. Its kind of a long word, starts with a C. Considerate? Yeah. This dogs not very considerate. Tip of the tongue: When you can think of the general structure of the word, often including the initial sound and number of syllables, but cannot produce the word.

Speech Phenomenon: Malapropisms

Malapropism: When we say an incorrect word which has structural similarities to the word we meant to say. Examples: - apprehension instead of comprehension - unparalyzed instead of unparalleled - hostile instead of hostage - condemned instead of commended We cannot let terrorists and rogue nations hold this nation hostile or hold our allies hostile. ~George W. Bush August 21, 2000

Speech Phenomenon: Spoonerisms

Spoonerism (Slip of the tongue) A spoken error often involving the interchange of two initial sounds Examples: - Make a long shory stort (Make a long story short) - A tup of kea (A cup of tea) Spoonerisms get their name from William Spooner (1844-1930), a clergyman who once described Jesus as a shoving leopard when he meant to say loving shepherd.

Speech Phenomenon: Slip of the Ear

Have you seen my gray tape? Your great ape?!

To force heaven, Mars shall have a new angel.

247 Marshall Avenue, Angel (CA)

APHASIA
A N I M PA I R M E N T O F L A N G U A G E F U N C T I O N D U E TO L O C A L I Z E D B R A I N D A M A G E T H AT L E A D S TO D I F F I C U LT Y I N U N D E R S TA N D I N G OR PRODUCING LINGUISTIC FORMS
THE STUDY OF LANGUAGE, YULE, 2010

COMMON CAUSES OF APHASIA ARE S T R O K E S A N D T R A U M AT I C H E A D I N J U R I E S .

Aphasia
Aphasia is an impairment of language function due

to localized brain damage Commonly caused by stroke, trauma, head injuries Mild to severe Difficulties understanding will lead to difficulties producing language Understanding and speaking abilities are deeply connected

What do you think?

What do you think could happen if a stroke occurred on the left side of the brain?

Aphasia
Brocas (or expressive) Motor aphasia Reduced amount of speech Distorted articulation Slow, effortful speech Speech mainly formed by nouns and verbs Agrammatic speech I eggs and eat and drink coffee breakfast. Wernickes (or sensory)
Sensory aphasia Difficulties in auditory (listening)

comprehension Production of fluent yet incomprehensible speech Use of general terms I cant talk all of the things I do, and part of the part I can go alright, but I cant tell from the other people. Anomia difficulty finding the correct word

Kirk Douglas
http://youtu.be/_k6aemk6sck

Actor Kirk Douglas suffered a severe stroke in 1996, which impaired his ability to speak.

Wernickes aphasia samples

H T T P : / / W W W . Y O U T U B E . C O M / W AT C H ? V = B L D 5 J Z X P L E & F E AT U R E = S H A R E & L I S T = P L 2 E D 8 4 7 9 3A90FFB55

Different views on recovery for bilinguals

(Vaid and Genesee, 1980)

Ribots Law

Pitress Law

Languages learned early in development would be more resistant to impairment caused by brain damage and would recover before languages which have been acquired subsequently(Vaid & Genesee, 1980, p.420)

Pitres believed that the language(s) that were used the most preceding the cerebral insult before the brain damage occurred would recover first.

Language is a lot more than words

Critical Period
Is there a Critical Period to learn a first language?

Feral child/wild child

Noam Chomsky: acquisition/learning (language is

acquired, not taught or learned) Eric Lenneberg: puberty as limit for language acquisition Researchers have quite different opinions on the age for the critical period The Forbidden Experiment Is there a critical period for second language acquisition?

Genie
http://youtu.be/VjZolHCrC8E