Communication and Language Development - AP Psychology

Applying rules of grammar too widely. Example: saying 'goed' instead of 'went' for past tense.

The ability to speak two languages fluently. Can provide cognitive benefits and enhanced mental flexibility.

Broca's aphasia. Results from damage to the brain's speech production center.

Rapid learning of new words with minimal exposure. Enables vocabulary explosion during early childhood development.

Involved in language comprehension. Damage here causes fluent but meaningless speech with poor understanding.

Simplified grammar and vocabulary for communication. Develops when groups need basic communication without shared language.

A system for communicating with others using signals with grammar rules. Distinguishes language from simple communication by emphasizing structured rules.

Ability to produce spoken or written language. Includes speaking fluency and writing composition abilities.

Wernicke's aphasia. Results from damage to the brain's language comprehension center.

Involved in reading and writing. Connects visual word forms with their sounds and meanings.

A system for communicating with others using signals with grammar rules. Distinguishes language from simple communication by emphasizing structured rules.

The first few years of life, typically before puberty. After this window, language learning becomes significantly more difficult.

Responsible for language production and speech. Damage here causes difficulty speaking but comprehension remains intact.

Involved in language comprehension. Damage here causes fluent but meaningless speech with poor understanding.

The idea that language influences perception and thought. Also known as linguistic relativity; language shapes cognitive processes.

The pre-linguistic stage, typically around 4-6 months. Infants experiment with sounds, practicing for later speech production.

Early speech stage using short, simple sentences. Like telegrams, omits function words but retains essential meaning.

Using a word too broadly, beyond its intended meaning. Example: calling all four-legged animals 'doggie'.

Using a word too narrowly, applying it to only one object. Example: only calling the family pet 'dog', not other dogs.

Humans have an innate capacity for language acquisition. Argues against purely learned language acquisition through environmental exposure.

Language Acquisition Device (LAD). Theoretical brain mechanism that makes language learning possible.

Use of single words to convey whole sentences. Child relies on context and gestures to communicate complete thoughts.

Broca's aphasia. Results from damage to the brain's speech production center.

Wernicke's aphasia. Results from damage to the brain's language comprehension center.

Simplified vocabulary and exaggerated intonation. Helps infants focus attention and learn language patterns more easily.

Suggests optimal periods for language learning. Explains why early exposure to language is crucial for normal development.

The use of language in social contexts. Includes understanding conversational rules, tone, and appropriate language use.

The smallest distinctive sound unit in a language. Different phonemes create different word meanings in each language.

The smallest unit of meaning in a language. Can be prefixes, suffixes, or root words that carry meaning.