Vocabulary
the words in any language represent agreed upon labels for things. Ex) Dog
Syntax
The structure and organization of sentences.
Grammar
The rules for combining words into sentences. It organizes meaning in a systematic way.
Phoneme
the smallest distinctive sound in a language.
Morpheme
the smallest unit that carries some meaning. Semantic Interpretation.
Semantics
Meaning of words and sentences, which depends on shared understanding.
Generative
the ability of the human mind to create and understand an infinite number of novel sentences using a finite set of grammatical rules.
Cooing Stage
one of the earliest phases in language development. (2-4 months) ~ Infant experiment with their vocal cords.
Nonverbal Manual Gestures
gestures such as pointing that are intrinsic parts of language development across many cultures; making communication possible even when verbal skills have not developed.
Babbling Stage
Follows the cooing stage (4-10months) “ba-ba-ba” etc.
One-Word Stage
(1-2yrs) ~ child speaks mostly in single words.
Telegraphic Speech
(2yrs) ~ 2-word talking “want cookie” etc, follows one-word stage.
Overgeneralization
Applying a language rule too widely/broadly, even when there are exceptions.
ex) “I goed” instead of “went” or “foots” instead of “feet.”
Overextension
Using one word for lots of similar things.
Calling all animals “doggy.”
Underextension
Using a word too narrowly.
Thinking “car” only means the family’s specific car.
Fast Mapping
Quickly linking a new word with its meaning after minimal exposure
